Maharashtra: Lawyer sentenced to six months imprisonment for using casteist slur

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A court in Maharashtra's Thane district has sentenced a 44-year-old lawyer to six months of imprisonment for using casteist slur against a man during an argument.

Special judge AS Bhagwat on Wednesday convicted the lawyer of charges under relevant sections of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act and sentenced him to six months imprisonment and imposed a fine of Rs 1,500 on him.

Special public prosecutor Rekha Hiwrale told the court that the complainant had lent Rs 1 lakh to the lawyer from Kharivali village in Palghar district in July 2015, and the latter did not return the sum.

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When the complainant met him at his office, the lawyer verbally abused him and used casteist slurs, following which the case was registered, she said.

Appearing for the accused, advocate Rajan Salunke argued that the lawyer had been dragged into a false case due to land dispute.

The court in the order said that the accused had committed an offence which would render the society atmosphere unstable and hostile.

If a lenient view is taken, then such tendencies will crop up and resultantly create an unstable social atmosphere, which cannot be permitted, the order stated.

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