6 rioters sentenced by fast track court

PANJIM, SEPT 21
The city fast track court today sentenced six rioters for attempted murder of policemen and related offenses in 2007 while discharging two others from the same offenses.
The six convicts identified as Shammire Kutty (24), Vinod Pillai (21), Vijay Kumar Pillai (22), Rajesh Pillai (23), Fakruddin Kanju (23) and Anil Jacob (28), all hailing from Kerala are sentenced to four and half years simple imprisonment.
Recalling back to the incident on January 6, 2007, two police constables Suraj Khandekar and Balchandra Gurav who escorted accused Anil to Goa Dental College at Bambolim in a Tata Sumo jeep were attacked by armed assailants.
On their way back to the jail, accused Shammire and Vinod hurled chilly power on the police and assaulted them with a sword. 
The accused including Anil tried escaping but the jeep met with a self-accident. However, Sunil Singh (21) who was monitoring the situation took Anil on his motorbike and fled.
The prosecution examined 37 witnesses and charged the accused of forming unlawful assembly, attempting murder of policemen and escaping Anil from the lawful custody.
The Judge was convinced with the testimony showing involvement of the accused in the conspiracy. “They must be punished adequately. The punishment should not be excessive or lenient,” said the court.
All six have been sentenced for each of the offenses, which the Court ordered would run concurrently. Each of them is directed to pay a total fine of Rs 3100, and in failure to make the payment they are asked to undergo further imprisonment of three months.
Accused Sunil is still at large against whom proceedings under section 299 of Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973 is underway in the same Court.
Two other female accused Fida Mussa Fazal (24) of Karnataka and Seja Joseph (29) of Kerala, were acquitted from the charges of attempted murder.
They are nonetheless convicted and sentenced to one year SI for being a party to the conspiracy to escape accused Anil form the lawful custody. The accused women are further directed to pay a sum of Rs 500 each to the Court.
Yet another person Umesh Naik (22) of Karnataka who was implicated of providing the vehicle to the accused men was acquitted. The Court observed that the vehicle was given on rent to earn commission and that his involvement in the conspiracy was not proved.