Father and son get 7 year jail term in cyber-crime case

Pathanamthitta, June 20 (UNI) Chief Judicial Magistrate K Haridas today sentenced Aneesh Balan(27) of Perumbavoor and his father T S Balan(57) to seven years' imprisonment and slapped a fine of Rs 35,000 each in a cyber-crime case, the first of its kind in the state.

They were convicted under sections 66 (hacking of computer) and 67 (using electronic media for the purpose of defamation) of the Information Technology Act, 2000 and IPC sections 120 B (conspiracy), 292 (publication of obscene pictures), 469 (forgery to harm reputation) and 34 (common intention).

According to special prosecutor Salim Kampissery, both the accused entered into a conspiracy and created fake E-mail addresses under various names and E-mailed world-wide morphed nude photographs of T S Abraham, the supreme head of the Indian Pentacostal Church headquartered at Hebribpuram, Kumbanad, his son Valsan Abraham and daughter Starla Luke from January 31 to February 20, 2002.

The second accused T S Balan also published defamatory articles against T S Abraham in the magazine "Defender" edited and published by himself.

T S Abraham lodged a complaint with the police and the investigation was taken up by the then Dy SP R Ramachandran Nair.

Altogether 29 witness, including officials of Sathyam online and BSNL, appeared before the court.

UNI XR PMM DK1943