Silvester D'Souza
Daijiworld Media Network - Udupi (DRD)
Udupi, Sep 2: Journalist from Kundapur Chandra K Hemmadi who is clamped with 21 POCSO cases has been sentenced to 10 years imprisonment in two of by the POCSO fast track special division of the District Additional and Sessions Court on Friday, September 2.
A case was registered in Byndoor police station In June 2018 against Hemmadi for taking a 14-year-old boy to a waterfall on pretext of taking photographs and abusing him sexually. The accused was arrested in November 28, 2018.
The then Byndoor police station Parameshwar R Gunaga had submitted a chargesheet to the court. Out of the 21 witnesses, 14 were questioned. Based on the statements of the aggrieved boys and circumstantial evidences, judge Srinivas Suvarna sentenced Chandra K Hemmadi to 10 years of imprisonment and slapped a fine of Rs 1000 on him.
Hemmadi has already been sentenced in a sexual harassment case to three years rigorous imprisonment . On the pretext of guiding them on journalism Chandra K Hemmadi allegedly used to take school students to the forests and sexually abuse them. Based on the complaints by 21 boys, 16 cases were registered against Hemmady in Byndoor, three in Gangolli and one each in Kundapur rural and Kollur police stations.
Out of the 21 cases, Hemmadi has been sentenced in 11. He has been exonerated in eight cases for want of evidence. The court is likely to pronounce its verdict in two more cases on Saturday, September 3.