Man gets 3 yrs in prison for overcharging Rs 3  

Katihar, Bihar: A court in Bihar has convicted fair price shop owner Upendra for charging Rs three extra from his customers and he now faces three years of rigorous imprisonment.

Upendra and his family have faced 11 years of legal battle and are staring at more.

All hell broke lose on them two days back, as the district court in Katihar in Bihar sentenced him to three years in jail — his crime was charging Rs three extra for a purchase of kerosene from his fair price shop 11 years ago.

Upendra says, "I thought that the court was a temple of justice, and it's to seek justice that people go to court, even I had hoped to get justice but for a mere sum of Rs three I was sentenced to three years imprisonment."

A rough estimate of the amount that Upendra has spent on the legal battle so far is approximately Rs 10,000.

But the family is gearing up to appeal against the court verdict. After all, the solitary breadwinner behind bars will make life impossible for his wife and three kids.

Upendra's wife, Munni Devi says, "Since the time he's become a dealer we've been tensed and unhappy, it would have been better had he been a cobbler. All these legal hassles we're facing is a result of others envy."

People in Upendra's village are mostly farmers, and the locals in his village have welcomed the judgment.

As the man who dragged him to court says it is not for the petty sum that he fought the case, but to serve as a deterrent to others.

The petitioner Sutti Mandal says, "I feel that if he is convicted then it'll be a lesson for all the dealers who steal and overcharge people, and they'll stop overcharging people."

For now Upendra and his family are staring at yet another lengthy legal battle.