Prisoner gets 3-yr jail for throwing chilli on cops to escape

The main accused in the murder of television journalist Soumya Vishwanathan has been sent to three years in jail by a Delhi court in a separate case of trying to escape from custody by throwing chilli powder on police officials in 2009.
Metropolitan magistrate Ashok Kumar handed down the jail term to Ravi Kapoor for trying to run away from Safdarjung hospital where he was taken by jail authorities for an x-ray.
The court held him guilty for the offences under sections 332 (voluntarily causing hurt to deter public servant from his duty), 224 (resistance or obstruction by a person to his lawful apprehension), 353(assault or criminal force to deter public servant from discharge of his duty) and 186(obstructing public servant in discharge of public functions) of the IPC.

"The accused has been held guilty for the wrongful act of obstructing police officials of the escorting party in the discharge of their public functions by use of criminal force by throwing chilli powder in the eyes of prosecution witness 4 (assistant sub inspector) and then attempted to escape from legal custody and caused hurt to PW4 in the process.
"In my view such a conduct will spread a very encouraging signal to the people who do not hesitate to take law in their own hands and have the guts and the brazenness to commit such offence unless dealt with iron hands," the magistrate said, while awarding the sentence.

The court, while relying on the statements of prosecution witnesses, said, "It is clear from the testimony of all the prosecution witnesses, who were present and who either escorted the accused to the hospital or were already present at the hospital due to some reason that all of them saw him running away after releasing himself from the legal custody of the police officials".
According to the prosecution, Kapoor, an undertrial prisoner who is also accused of killing IT executive Jigisha Ghosh, was taken to Safdarjung Hospital here for a check-up on October 19, 2009 when he attempted to escape by throwing chilli powder on policemen.