Kundapura man convicted for sexual images captured and transmitted via cell phone.

Kundapura man convicted for sexual images captured and transmitted via cell phone.

Mangalore Today News Network

Udupi :   District and Sessions Court sentenced an employee of a private hospital to six months of imprisonment and a fine of Rs. 40,000 on finding him guilty of capturing a sexual act with a woman without her consent and transmitting it.

Sixth Additional District and Sessions Judge D.T. Puttarangaswamy found Ashok guilty of capturing on his mobile phone his sexual act with the 21-year-old woman, his neighbour, against her will. Ashok had also been accused of sending these images to those in the locality.  According to the police, in February 2009, Ashok, a resident of a village near Moodbidri, brought his neighbour’s daughter to Mangaluru assuring her of a job in a local hospital.

Both stayed in a lodge and where he had sex with her. He captured those images on his mobile phone without her consent.   She returned to her village and a few days later left with Ashok to Mumbai on a tour. Her mother, who had no knowledge of this, filed a missing complaint. The case was closed when she returned.

On June 21, 2010, Ashok, who had retained the images on his mobile phone, sent them to a few of his neighbours.  These images were seen by the woman and her family members. Following her complaint, the Moodbidri police arrested Ashok.

During examination by prosecutor Judith O.M. Crasta, the victim told the court that Ashok had captured images without her consent. Forensic expert T.N. Ramakrishna told the court that the images captured where that of Ashok and the complainant.   The judge convicted Ashok under Sections 66 (E) (Punishment for violation of privacy) and Section 67 (A) (Punishment for publishing and transmitting sexually explicit content) of the Information Technology Act 2000. He was also convicted under Sections 417 (punishment for cheating) and 506 (punishment for criminal intimidation) of the Indian Penal Code.  Of the total fine of Rs. 40,000, the judge directed Ashok to pay Rs. 35,000 to the victim as compensation