Mangaluru : The sixth additional district and sessions court here on Friday convicted five persons of assaulting a youth of a minority community outside a mall in 2016 for watching a movie with a girl from the majority community. The court fined them Rs 21,000 each, defaulting which they’ll serve eight months’ simple imprisonment.

Judge Sayeedunnisa pronounced the judgment. The complainant, a girl, had turned hostile in the case. All the convicted — Chethan, 23; Rakshath Kumar, 21; Ashwin Raj, 21; Santosh Shetty, 23; Sharath Kumar, 20; were working at Forum Fiza Mall.

Public prosecutor Judith OM Crasta said the incident took place on April 4, 2016. A 21-year-old youth and 19-yearold girl had come to Mangaluru to watch a movie together.

The boy, who hails from Udupi, and the girl, a student in Manipal, had met on Instagram. After the film, when they were about to hire an autorickshaw to catch a bus and return to Manipal, five persons waylaid them.

After abusing the boy for roaming with a girl from another community, they dragged him to a nearby lane and thrashed him with rods. The girl rushed to the nearby South police station and filed a complaint. The traumatised victim was admitted to hospital the next day.

South police station inspector Ananth Padmanabha filed a chargesheet against the men. Eleven witnesses were examined, and FSL and circumstantial evidence and 17 documents were produced. Top Comment

The court found the five guilty under IPC sections 143 (unlawful assembly), 147 (rioting), 148 (rioting, armed with deadly weapon), 342 (wrongful confinement), 323 (voluntarily causing hurt) and 324 (voluntarily causing hurt by dangerous weapons or means). Of the total fine, Rs 50,000 will be paid to the victim.

Judith pointed out that since the complainant turned hostile, the accused were not charged with IPC Section 307 (attempt to murder). If proved, they would have been awarded life sentence.