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New Delhi: A fast track court in Chennai sentenced orthopaedic surgeon Dr Prakash to life imprisonment in a case relating to taking obscene pictures of women and uploading them on the Internet.

Dr Prakash has the dubious distinction of being the first person to be booked under the Information Technology Act in India. The sentence was passed under the Immoral Trafficking (Prevention) Act and a fine of Rs 1.25 lakh has been imposed on him.

On Wednesday, the court had found Dr Prakash guilty under section 506 (part II), 367 and 120-B (criminal conspiracy) of the IPC and section 67 of Information Technology Act.

The doctor was arrested in December 2001 for making pornographic films and selling them abroad. Police seized boxes full of CDs which were being shipped abroad to be sold in the US and France.

They also recovered machine gun bullets from his farmhouse.

The pornography racket made headlines after a Pondicherry-based man had complained to the police that Dr Prakash had forced him to perform "sexual acts with women", so he could shoot them and make films.

He said Prakash used to lure college women by offering them large sums of money.

The police later found that Prakash had taken the help of his brother to design two websites in the US, onto which the 'films' were uploaded regularly.

Judge R Radha, who delivered the verdict, had earlier acquitted the doctor under the charge of rape.

The Tamil Nadu Medical Council is going to decide on cancelling Dr Prakash's licence.

The other three accused — Saravanan, Vijayan and Asir — were awarded seven years rigorous imprisonment and fined of Rs 2,500 each.

(With inputs from agencies)

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