Casteist remark lands him in jail

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Express news service

Posted online: Thursday , March 27, 2008 at 11:45:58
Updated: Thursday , March 27, 2008 at 11:45:58

Pune, March 26 One derogatory sentence uttered by Kalidas Bhagwant Wadekar in a Gram Sabha, earned him a year of rigourous imprisonment and a fine of Rs 2000. Wadekar, a former vice-Sarpanch, uttered a casteist abuse at Usha Baban Salunkhe, the sarpanch of Chakan gram panchayat in May last year when she was addressing a Gram Sabha meeting.

Salunkhe, a candidate from the reserved category was delivering a lecture on May 5, 2007 at the Shiv Chatrapati Auditorium at Chakan when Wadekar suddenly got up from the audience and hurled abuses.

Salunkhe filed a complaint against Wadekar under the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe (Prevention of Atrocities Act), 1989 and the Protection of Civil Rights Act, 1955 at the Chakan Police station.

Special Public Prosecutor Bharati Kadam examined seven witnesses of which everyone except the investigating officer and one of the eye-witnesses to the incident, turned hostile. “Cases relating to the Atrocities Act are rare as the complainants who belong to a lower caste are afraid to fight a legal proceeding against the accused, most of whom belong to the upper caste”, said Kadam.

Based on the testimonies of the complainant and another villager who present during the Gram Sabha and documental evidence in the form of verified caste certificates the case was proven against the accused. Additional Sessions Judge Vilas Patil sentenced Wadekar to a year of rigourous imprisonment under the Atrocities Act and directed him to pay a fine of Rs 2000. He also sentenced the accused to three months of simple imprisonment and directed him to pay a fine of Rs 500.

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