Gadag: The district court has sentenced 23 people to 5 years of rigorous imprisonment and imposed fines ranging from Rs 1 to 5 lakh for ransacking Laxmeshwar police station on February 15, 2017.
“From the collected penalty amount, Rs 12.7 lakh should be paid to the Gadag SP office on account of losses suffered at Laxmeshwar police station. Rs 35,000 each should be paid to constables K N Mudiyammanavar and F B Turanur and Rs 10,000 should be paid to another constable, CR Savanur,” Additional District and Sessions Court Judge Rajeshwar Shetty said on Monday.
It was alleged that Laxmeshwar police assaulted Shivappa Doni, a resident of Battur village in Laxmeshwar taluk, on charges of transporting illegal sand. As Doni succumbed to his injuries at a hospital, his relatives and villagers sat in protest along with Doni’s body at Laxmeshwar police station. As the protest turned violent, people ransacked the station and destroyed files, computers, furniture, documents and even set fire to a police jeep and bikes. Only 3 personnel were working in the station, and they were attacked by the mob but rescued themselves by escaping through the backdoor of the station.
Later, police filed an FIR against 112 people, of which 8 died in the last 8 years, and one was a minor. Police filed a chargesheet against 103 people, and 23 were convicted. The remaining 80 were dropped from the case.
