Dakshina Kannada: A district court in Karnataka's Dakshina Kannada district has recently imposed a fine of Rs 5 lakh on two women police officers of Mangaluru for wrongfully arresting a 47-year-old innocent man and keeping him in judicial custody for one year in a POCSO (Prevention of Children from Sexual Offences) case.
When the case came up for hearing before the Second Additional FTSC (Fast Track Special Court) POCSO Court Judge K U Radhakrishna, the counsel of the aggrieved argued that the complainant has furnished the name of the accused as Naveen and age as about 25 years whereas his client was 47-year-old.
The counsel submitted that the arrest was carried out on a mistaken identity. "The only connection between the aggrieved and the original accused is the name-Naveen," the counsel said, adding that the women police officers who were investigating the case had also chargesheeted the innocent who had been languishing in prison for a year in Judicial Custody.
Hearing the counsel, the Court directed sub-inspector P P Rosamma and inspector Revathi of the women police station in the city to pay the fine as compensation to Naveen Sequeira, who was acquitted by the court in the case. The judge ordered also the State Home Department secretary to take legal action against the erring women police officers.
Sequeira was arrested on mistaken identity based on the statement of the victim in the case who mentioned the name of Naveen as her tormentor and no efforts have been taken to verify the identity of the arrested. Sequeira was arrested by the sub-inspector who later handed him over to the inspector Revathi for investigation.
