KASARGOD: The court sentenced Manjeswaram MLA to imprisonment. The Kasargod judicial first class magistrate court sentenced A K M Ashraf to one year imprisonment and also imposed a fine of Rs 10,000. The punishment is in the case of assaulting deputy tehsildar over adding names in the voters list. The Manjeswaram MLA said that it is a case without witnesses and will appeal against the verdict.

The incident happened on November 25 in 2010. The deputy tehsildar A Damodaran had rejected the application of Munavur Ismail of Mysuru, a resident of Bankara Manjeswaram, when the application for including names was examined in the Manjeswaram block panchayat office. The application was rejected on the ground that there was no record of release of electoral roll from Mysuru.

It was also informed that he will get a chance to add the name if the relevant document is produced. The case alleged that 35 people including AKM Ashraf, a member of the district panchayat then, Abdullah Kaja and Bashir Kanila, panchayat members at that time, pushed Damodaran from the chair and beat him. Manjeswaram police registered the case.