New Delhi, Aug 31: A Delhi court has sentenced conman Sukesh Chandrasekhar to 08 years of rigorous imprisonment for impersonating a Supreme Court judge and attempting to influence a bail proceeding in another criminal case.
Chief Judicial Magistrate Harshita Mishra of Tis Hazari Courts awarded him two years’ rigorous imprisonment and a Rs 5,000 fine under IPC Section 170, two years and a Rs 5,000 fine under Section 189, and four years under Section 507. The sentences will run consecutively.
In its August 29 order, the court said the case involved a deliberate attempt to manipulate and interfere with the functioning of public institutions. Chandrasekhar was convicted on August 20 under the three sections relating to impersonation and threats.
According to the court, Chandrasekhar made multiple calls on April 28, 2017, to Judicial Officer, posing as a Supreme Court Judge from South India and using a regional accent to make the impersonation credible.
The calls were aimed at influencing proceedings concerning his liberty in another case.
The court rejected the argument that his failure to deceive the Judicial Officer should mitigate the offence, saying an unsuccessful attempt did not make the conduct innocuous.
It also stressed the growing risks posed by deepfakes, cloned voices and spoofed communications, saying the sentence should serve as a deterrent and protect public confidence in the justice system.
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