Advocate gets lifer for defrauding Dalit family

An advocate who handled insurance claims, Alevoor Premaraj Kini, was declared guilty of defrauding his clients from the SC community and sentenced to undergo life imprisonment by Principal District and Sessions Court Judge J N Subramanya on Friday.

On Thursday, the court had convicted Kini, a resident of V T Road, Thenkapete, and Vinay Kumar, working in a private accountants office in Udupi, under sections col 120B, 201, 409, 418, 419, 420, 465, 466, 467, 468, 471, 472, 473, 474, 475, 484 of IPC and 3(2) (v) of the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.

Charges were dropped against the third accused, Harishchandra Acharya, serving as a clerk at Kini’s office, who had passed away during the trial.

On May 13, 2002, Chambu and Kundadu, a poor couple from the SC community residing in Mudakodu village in Naravi in Beltangady taluk, decided to visit Kollur temple. En route, Kundadu died in a motor vehicle accident near Salmara in Karkala taluk.

Udupi Motor Vehicle Accidents Claims Tribunal, acting on the application moved by advocate Premaraj Kini, on behalf of the family of the victim, had awarded a compensation amount of Rs 1,33,246 in 2004.

Following an appeal against the Tribunal's order, the High Court had ordered enhancement of compensation amount upto Rs 3,08,000 and the insurance company had deposited the balance amount with interest (₹2,57,549) in the court on May 27, 2011.

Chambu's children, Annu, Sadhu, Akku and Kajavu filed a complaint with Udupi town police, accusing advocate Premaraj Kini of misappropriating the compensation instead of depositing the money in their accounts.

Then Udupi DySP Prabhudeva B Mane filed a charge sheet in court. Following protests by the members of DSS, Shivaprasad Alva K, who is presently serving as Law officer (Senior), served as Special Public Prosecutor.

During the trial, Shivaprasad Alva recorded statements of 33 witnesses and had submitted 280 documents to reveal how Kini forged documents, court seals, including ration cards and opened bank accounts to misappropriate the amount.

Judge J N Subramanya upholding the arguments of Shivaprasad Alva sentenced Kini to life imprisonment. Kini's accomplice Vinay Kumar was sentenced to five years of simple imprisonment.

Out of the fine amount, Rs 3 lakh should be paid to Chambu's children, the judge added.