Court acquits fruit vendor of assault and obstruction, imposes fine for abusive language

Time of India

06-06-2025

Hyderabad: A local court in Hyderabad acquitted a fruit vendor who had been accused of assaulting traffic police and obstructing their work during a footpath clearance drive in Erragadda, an area under the jurisdiction of the SR Nagar police station, in 2017.
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However, the court found the vendor guilty of using abusive language against the police and imposed a fine of Rs 2,000.
The accused was initially booked under Section 353 IPC following a complaint from an official of SR Nagar police station, which pertains to assault or criminal force to deter a public servant from the discharge of their duty. However, during the trial, the court found that the prosecution had failed to provide sufficient evidence to sustain the charge.
Notably, the police claimed that the entire incident had been captured on a body-worn camera, yet they failed to produce the footage during the proceedings. Furthermore, while the FIR alleged that the vendor had assaulted and obstructed the police officers, the officers' statements during the trial omitted any mention of obstruction.
"Though the accused was booked under Section 353 IPC, the traffic police did not mention this in their evidence to the court during the trial.
Therefore, the ingredients under Section 353 IPC do not apply," the court ruled.
Upon examining the available evidence, the court concluded that only the charge under Section 294B of the IPC—pertaining to obscene language—was proven.
Taking a lenient view, the judge imposed a fine of 2,000 rupees, considering the accused's plea that the prolonged legal proceedings had caused him mental distress.