Nearly 20 yrs after accepting bribe, HC sentences journo to 2 years RI

Nagpur: Nearly 20 years after a journalist allegedly demanded bribe of Rs50,000, the Nagpur bench of Bombay high court on Thursday found him guilty of the offence and sentenced him to two years behind bars. He was told to surrender within a week. The Judicial Magistrate First Class (JMFC) in Wardha was directed to issue an arrest warrant against him, if fails to report to concerned police station.
While rejecting the revision application filed by journalist Sharad Devatale, a single judge bench comprising justice Murlidhar Giratkar observed that the petitioner had misused his profession for extorting money and must suffer rigorous imprisonment which would act as a deterrent. Devatale was out on bail for all these years, except for initial two months, after being convicted by the JMFC and then by the sessions court in Wardha.

The complaint against petitioner was lodged in July 28, 2000, at Wardha Police Station by Sonaba Bisan Bhaisare who levelled the charges of blackmailing against him regarding selling of his land.

The complainant had converted his land into non-agriculture (NA) somewhere in 1994-95 and demarcated it into small plots. He then sold them to various buyers after which the local Gram Panchayat provided required facilities on the place. Subsequently, the buyers built their houses on the plots.

Claiming himself as a journalist, Devatale approached Bhaisare while threatening him with publication of adverse news in his paper and also file a PIL in HC. He also warned him of lodging a complaint with the collector with a request to demolish the houses on Bhaisare’s plots. He then demanded Rs50,000 from the complainant to avoid any action against him, but Bhaisare rebuked his demand.

Devatale still continued to haunt him for the money and labelled same threats many a time. Tired with his harassment, Bhaisare agreed to pay him some amount. The journalist demanded him to pay Rs25,000 immediately while rest would be paid in instalments.

Bhaisare told him that he was sick and could pay Rs10,000 in morning and Rs15,000 in the evening of July 28, 2000, which latter agreed to. In the meantime, Bhaisare lodged a police complaint against the accused and laid a trap with their help. On the said day, Devatale accepted bribe amount from complainant and put it in his pocket.

The Wardha cops caught him red handed and registered offences under Section 384 and 385 against him. After filing of charge-sheet, he was convicted by the JMFC on August 30, 2010, and sentenced to RI for three years and told to pay Rs1,000 fine. He challenged the verdict in sessions’ court which reduced his sentence to two years on November 29, 2011. The petitioner challenged the verdict in HC, where it was pending for all these years, till it pronounced its verdict on Wednesday.

(With inputs from Akash Jamthe)