The Parramatta Court confirmed the sentence to SBS Hindi via an email which read, “The offender, Vishal Jood, is sentenced to an aggregate term of imprisonment of 12 months to commence on 16 April 2021 and expiring on 15 April 2022 with a non-parole period of 6 months. The offender is to be released to parole on 15 October 2021.”
Mr Jood had appeared before Magistrate David Price at Parramatta Local Court last Thursday.
Highlights:
- Australian court sends Indian student Vishal Jood to jail for a year on three charges
- Jood will be released on 15 October after completing non-parole period of six months
- NSW ODPP withdraws eight charges; no charges were made for an offence of publicly threatening or inciting violence on the grounds of race
Mr Jood’s defence lawyer Amendra Singh told SBS Hindi that his client had pleaded guilty to three charges. While the charge of physical assault was related to the 16 September 2020 incident, the other two charges of being armed with a baseball bat and damage to a car window were from an incident on 14 February this year, he said.
"The DPP withdrew other charges, following which Jood agreed to plead guilty to three charges," a statement from Mr Jood's defence team said.
It further stated that New South Wales police had initially laid 10 charges against Mr Jood arising out of four separate incidents.
''A police request to lay a further charge under section 93Z of the Crimes Act of publicly threatening or inciting violence on grounds of religion was not sanctioned by the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP),'' the statement said.
The Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions NSW told SBS Hindi that as part of a negotiated charge resolution, the accused pleaded guilty to three charges.
Jood has been in jail since 16 April, and will become eligible for parole on 15 October after he completes a non-parole period of six months. Source: AAP Image/Bianca De Marchi
Four charges of affray, two charges of destroying or damaging property and two charges of being armed with intent to commit an indictable offence were withdrawn by the NSW ODPP.
''This accused was never charged with an offence of publicly threatening or inciting violence on the grounds of race,'' the NSW ODDP said.
Mr Jood's case had caught the Indian government's attention. Last Thursday India’s foreign ministry spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said at his weekly briefing that the Indian government was aware of the judgement passed by the court.
Earlier, Mr Jood's release was also sought by Haryana Chief Minister M L Khattar, BJP leader Kapil Mishra and Delhi BJP spokesperson Tejinder Bagga.
Mr Jood's counsel claimed that in December 2020 his client had attended a rally held in Sydney's Quakers Hill which was organised to oppose the Indian government's farm bills. Mr Jood had unfurled the Indian flag at the rally, following which protestors allegedly assaulted him and shouted anti-Modi slogans.
He said the court was shown a video in relation to that incident and was also informed that Mr Jood received numerous threats on social media from anti-India elements following the rally.
On 14 February 2021, Mr Jood participated in the Tiranga car rally which was held to show support towards the Indian national flag, Mr Singh said, adding that another group later made threats against the event's organisers.
The statement by the defence said, ''later that evening, Jood, who was standing on Wigram Street, heard one of the car's occupants yelling his name and his defence statement claimed that several people came out of one of the cars.''
''One of them ran towards Vishal armed with a baseball bat. Vishal took the bat off him and smashed a window of the nearest car with it, to scare away his attackers,'' it said.
