Two MTNL employees sentenced to jail for preventing company's top official from discharging duty, threatening him

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A court in Thane district handed down sentences to two employees of Mahanagar Telephone Nigam Ltd (MTNL) for their involvement in a 2016 incident where they stormed into their state-run company's top official's office, threatened him, and obstructed him from performing his duties due to their transfer, stated a report in PTI.

In a ruling delivered on September 8, Assistant Sessions Court Judge KR Deshpande, presiding in Belapur, found Sushil Kadam (43) and Suresh Ambore (57) guilty under Indian Penal Code (IPC) section 353, which pertains to assault or criminal force intended to deter a public servant from discharging their duty. Kadam was sentenced to one year of imprisonment, while Ambore received a three-month jail term, both were subjected to simple imprisonment. Additionally, the court imposed fines of Rs 1,250 on Kadam and Rs 750 on Ambore, the PTI report stated.

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According to Additional Public Prosecutor EB Dhamal, on September 24, 2016, the complainant, General Manager of MTNL, Navi Mumbai, was carrying out his official duties when Kadam and Ambore entered his office and questioned him regarding their transfers. They raised their voices and issued threats to the GM.

Upon examination of the evidence presented, the court determined that the actions of Kadam and Ambore were in violation of IPC section 353. The court stated, "The prosecution has proven that the accused unauthorisedly and forcefully entered the cabin of the GM, shouted loudly, gave threats, and obstructed his official work."

Despite the fact that the second accused remained silent during the incident, the court observed that there was a meeting of minds between the two accused individuals before their visit to the GM's office. Consequently, the court applied IPC section 34, which pertains to common intention, to both individuals.

Mahanagar Telephone Nigam Limited (MTNL) is a public sector undertaking under the ownership of the Department of Telecommunications, Union Ministry of Communications. MTN provides services in Mumbai and Delhi in India and in Mauritius in Africa. The PSU had a monopoly in Mumbai and Delhi until private service providers were allowed to operate. At present, the Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) holds the PSU's 100 per cent stock.