Man sentenced to 6 months in jail for casteist slurs, derogatory remarks on Ambedkar

A special court in Mumbai has sentenced a 32-year-old man, Shakil, to six months of rigorous imprisonment for hurling casteist abuse at an advocate and making derogatory remarks about Dr B R Ambedkar during a heated exchange in October 2016.

Special Judge Y P Manathkar, presiding over the court designated for cases under the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, held Shakil guilty on Tuesday under sections 3(1)(r) and 3(1)(v) of the Act. These provisions penalise non-SC/ST individuals for specific acts of atrocity against members of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes. 

Along with the jail term, the court imposed a fine of Rs 10,000. 

Shakil was, however, acquitted of separate charges under IPC Sections 323 (voluntarily causing hurt) and 506 (criminal intimidation), citing insufficient evidence. 

According to the prosecution, the case dates back to the night of October 13, 2016, near RNA Colony in Vashi Naka, Chembur. Advocate Vinod Satpute, the complainant, said he had just parked his car when Shakil confronted him, abused him using caste-based slurs, and pressed him to withdraw a police complaint filed earlier against him. 

When Satpute refused, the prosecution said, Shakil escalated the abuse and also made insulting remarks about Dr Ambedkar. Satpute subsequently filed an FIR at the RCF police station.

During the trial, the defence argued that the case was rooted in personal enmity between the two men and pointed to the absence of independent public witnesses or CCTV evidence. The court dismissed this argument, holding that the testimonies of Satpute and his brother were consistent with each other and backed by the spot panchnama. 

It further observed that the incident took place on a public street near residential buildings and a pan shop, which established that the offence occurred in full public view.

In its order, the court noted: "In short, the factum of using insulting language against the informant based on his caste by the accused as well as making derogatory remarks against Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar by the accused on the above said date and time has been proved by the prosecution by adducing sufficient evidence."

(With inputs from PTI)