MADURAI: Tripling the fine three times for brutally hitting a man with a stone, Madurai Bench of Madras High Court modified the sentence of a Thoothukudi-based man from two years to three months. The Court directed the accused to pay the fine, enhanced from `5,000 to 15,000, as compensation to the victim.
The case pertains to an incident on February 10, 2009, when Kasirajan hurled a stone inside the house one Shanmugarajan in the neighbourhood. When confronted, he hit Shanmugarajan on the head with a stone.
The Puliyampatti police filed a case charging him for offences under Sections 294(b), 323 and 325 of IPC.
The trial court convicted Kasirajan and sentenced him to undergo 2 years simple imprisonment besides imposing fine of `1,000 in default, to undergo 1 month simple imprisonment.
On an appeal from Kasirajan, the lower court reduced the sentence to 3 months simple imprisonment but increased the fine to `5,000.
Aggrieved, he moved the High Court. His counsel, A Thiruvadikumar, pleaded for leniency since the petitioner was having two children and had already undergone imprisonment for 13 days. Further, he submitted that the petitioner was ready to pay some amount as additional compensation.
Justice R Mala said since the petitioner had already been in custody for 13 days, it should be treated as sentence for the offence under Section 325 IPC.
However, the Judge increased the fine amount to `15,000 from `5,000 and ordered to deposit it at the concerned Court and the lower Court was directed to pay the said amount to the victim as compensation.