Court sentences Mumbai man to 2-year RI for assaulting traffic constable in 2019

Thane: A court in Thane district on Wednesday convicted a 27-year-old Mumbai resident for assaulting and injuring an on-duty traffic police constable in 2019 and sentenced him to two years of rigorous imprisonment (RI).

Judge K R Deshpande of the Belapur court in Navi Mumbai imposed a fine of Rs 8,750 on the accused, Imran Shermohammad Saifi, and said a part of the amount must be paid as compensation to the injured constable.

Additional Public Prosecutor (APP) E B Dhamal said charges were proved against the accused under IPC sections 332 (voluntarily causing hurt to a public servant) and 353 (assault or criminal force to deter a public servant from discharging their duty) along with relevant provisions of the Motor Vehicles Act.

"A total of six prosecution witnesses were examined to establish that the accused not only physically assaulted the constable but also obstructed him from discharging his lawful duties," Dhamal said.

The incident dates back to July 22, 2019, at around 4 pm, when the victim, police constable Vaibhav Vishnu Kadam from the traffic department, was on duty at the busy Vashi toll plaza in Navi Mumbai.

The accused, a resident of Govandi in Mumbai, was riding a two-wheeler with a woman pillion rider and was stopped for not wearing a helmet, according to case details.

"When the constable attempted to initiate legal action (for helmet-less drive), the accused abused him, pushed him aside, punched him, and attempted to flee. It was also found that he did not possess a valid driving licence at the time," the APP told the court during the trial.

In his verdict, Judge Deshpande observed, "The prosecution has successfully proved all charges against the accused beyond all reasonable doubts for which he deserves to be convicted and sentenced." Out of the total fine, Rs 5,000 is to be paid to constable Kadam as compensation for the assault and injury caused in the incident, the court added.