III Additional District Sessions Judge B.B. Jakati on Friday sentenced Anita Ravishankar, Associate Professor in Mangalore University’s Sociology Department, to three years imprisonment on finding her guilty of accepting ₹5,000 from a Ph.d student.
According to the charge-sheet filed by Lokayukta Police, Ms. Ravishankar was the guide for Prema D’Souza and three other students for doctoral research on “Domestic Violence against women in Mangaluru” in 2011-12.
Ms. Ravishankar took ₹14,000 from each of the four students saying that it was the expenses for an external examiner coming from Mysuru for evaluation of research document. She further asked each one of them to pay ₹16,800. While the remaining three students paid the money, Ms. D’souza, instead, filed a complaint with the Lokayukta Police.
A team of Lokayukta Police led by then Police Inspector Umesh G. Shet caught Ms. Ravishankar in her office when she was accepting ₹5,000 from Ms. D’Souza on December 4, 2012. She was charged with offences under Section 7 and 13 (1) (D) of Prevention of Corruption Act.
Special Public Prosecutor K.S.N. Rajesh examined nine witnesses. During hearing on sentencing, Ms. Ravishankar sought relaxation as she is set to retire in 2023 and the marriage of her daughter is scheduled in about six months.
The Judge on Friday sentenced Ms. Ravishankar to three years in jail and imposed a fine of ₹15,000 for the offence under Section 13(1)(D) read with 13 (2) of Prevention of Corruption Act.
She was also sentenced to two years in jail and imposed a fine of ₹15,000 for the offence punishable under Section 7 of the Prevention of Corruption Act. Both sentences will run concurrently.
The judge directed her to pay ₹15,000 out of the fine amount as compensation to Ms. D’Souza, after the end of appeal period.
