{
  "id": 6102361,
  "title": "High Court cuts businessman’s jail term for assaulting wife to 5 years",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/07/high-court-cuts-businessmans-jail-term-for-assaulting-wife-to-5-years-6102361",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-09-07T05:13:02.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Free Malaysia Today",
    "slug": "free-malaysia-today",
    "url": "https://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/nation/2026/09/07/high-court-cuts-businessman-s-jail-term-for-assaulting-wife-to-5-years"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "The High Court in Malaysia has reduced the 16-year jail term of businessman Ashok Kumar, convicted of assaulting his wife, to five years. The original sentence was deemed \"extremely excessive\" by Justice Suriyati Hasimah Hashim. The court ruled that the injuries suffered by M Jothi were not severe enough to warrant a doubled jail term under Section 326A of the Penal Code. Ashok Kumar slapped his wife and used a belt to hit her after discovering she had spoken to a former employee about marital issues. Jothi denied the affair, stating she only discussed her marital problems with the employee. The court overturned the caning imposed by the sessions court, stating that neither Section 324 nor Section 326A provides for caning.",
  "summary": "It says the 16-year sentence imposed by a lower court was 'extremely excessive'.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 8,
    "also_reported_by": [
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        "published": "2026-09-06T18:42:04.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Haaretz",
        "title": "High Court orders return of Palestinian families driven out by settlers",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/06/high-court-orders-return-of-palestinian-families-driven-out-by",
        "published": "2026-09-06T21:55:58.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "The Indian Express",
        "title": "State consent not taken, put High Court Chief Justice appointment on hold: Punjab Government",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/06/state-consent-not-taken-put-high-court-chief-justice-appointment-on",
        "published": "2026-09-06T23:50:10.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Dawn - Pakistan",
        "title": "Peshawar High Court rejects bail pleas of two accused in sexual assault case",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/07/peshawar-high-court-rejects-bail-pleas-of-two-accused-in-sexual",
        "published": "2026-09-07T03:53:17.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Free Malaysia Today",
        "title": "High Court cuts businessman’s jail term for assaulting wife to 5 years",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/07/high-court-cuts-businessmans-jail-term-for-assaulting-wife-to-5-years",
        "published": "2026-09-07T05:13:02.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "The Times of Israel",
        "title": "High Court dismisses petition by Israeli expats who were stripped of voting rights",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/07/high-court-dismisses-petition-by-israeli-expats-who-were-stripped-of",
        "published": "2026-09-07T05:19:25.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "The Hindu",
        "title": "Ensure grounds of arrest are furnished before remand, Madras High Court tells T.N. DGP, Chennai Police Commissioner",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/07/ensure-grounds-of-arrest-are-furnished-before-remand-madras-high",
        "published": "2026-09-07T06:43:36.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}