Hubballi: Basanagouda Patil, BJP leader and former Union minister has been sentenced to six months in jail in connection with a defamation case filed by Kannada Nadu party founder Vijay Sankeshwar in 2004.
The second JMFC?court on Monday, also imposed a fine of Rs 24,000. Advocates M?Laxmeshwar and K?L?Patil argued on behalf of Sankeshwar and Yatnal, respectively.
After hearing the case filed by industrialist Vijay?Sankeshwar in 2004, Judge V?Amar pronounced the judgment, which also stated that the jail term of the accused would be extended by a month if he failed to pay the fine.
The court also granted bail to Yatnal and stayed his arrest, giving him an opportunity to appeal to the higher court.
In 2004, Kannada Nadu Party founder Vijay Sankeshwar had contested the assembly election from the Hubballi Rural constituency. He had lodged a private complaint alleging that while campaigning for the BJP candidate, Yatnal had made defamatory statements against him, which were published in newspapers.
