A 53-year-old farmer, Kishore Lal, has been handed a 13-month suspended sentence by the Ba Magistrates’ Court after pleading guilty to setting fire to sugarcane crops in Navau, Ba.
Lal was charged with one count of setting fire to crops and two counts of attempting to set fire to crops, contrary to the Crimes Act 2009.
The offences occurred on July 9, 2024, when he deliberately set fire to a sugarcane farm belonging to Ajay Kumar, destroying about 200 tonnes of cane worth $21,500.
The blaze spread to two nearby farms, burning cane belonging to Sushila Devi and Kailash Pati, valued at $17,000 and $5,950 respectively.
Police witnesses saw Lal at the scene, and he later confessed to the offences during questioning.
Magistrate Namarata Mishra noted in her October 27 ruling that the crime was serious due to its potential impact on livelihoods but also took into account Lal’s early guilty plea, remorse, and lack of previous convictions.
Lal was sentenced to 15 months imprisonment, reduced for mitigation and time already served, and suspended for three years. If he reoffends during that period, the sentence will be activated.
