1-year jail upheld for man booked for taking photos of woman aboard train

CHENNAI: A sessions court here has upheld the one-year jail term awarded to a man for taking photos of a woman when travelling in a night train.

According to sources, Perambai Shanmugham, then aged 58, was booked by the railway police in June 2014 on the charge of woman harassment for taking photos of a woman passenger in the Palani Express. In 2016, a metropolitan magistrate court awarded one-year jail term to him.

Shanmugham, a resident of Tondiarpet Police Quarters, filed an appeal and it was heard at the first additional sessions court.

Shanmugham’s counsel argued that the woman passenger’s uncle had stolen a chain from him and only to save that man from the theft case, a case was foisted on Shanmugam. It was also argued that the phone with which Shanmugham is said to have taken the photos was not submitted as an evidence in the court.

However, judge M N Senthil Kumar observed it was established that the convict had taken photos of the woman. He also observed that since the phone was broken by other passengers in the train, who were said to be enraged by the behaviour of Shanmugam, the defence counsel’s arguments held no weight.