The Fourth Additional District and Sessions Judge Nerale Veerabhadraiah Bhavani on Tuesday sentenced to life four alleged associates of underworld operative Vikki Shetty on finding them guilty of the murder of garage owner Keshava Shetty, 35, in Soorinje on January 6, 2015.
The judge has sentenced to life Satish Soorinje, 33; Lithesh, 28; Shobharaj, 26; and Yuvaraj, 26, for the offence under Section 302 (murder) of the IPC. They were also sentenced to six months imprisonment for the offence under Section 143 (unlawful assembly), one year imprisonment each for offences under Section 147 (rioting) and Section 148 (rioting armed with deadly weapons), two years imprisonment for offence under Section 506 (criminal intimidation), six months imprisonment and ₹5000 fine each for offences under Section 201 (causing disappearance of evidence) and 202 (intentional omission to give information of an offence) of IPC.
The accused Bharat, 28, was sentenced to six months and fine of ₹5,000 each for offences under Sections 201 and 202 respectively of the IPC. All the sentences will run concurrently, the judge noted.
According to the chargesheet filed by then Surathkal Police Inspector M.A. Nataraj, Keshav Shetty had filed a complaint with the police accusing Satish of extortion. Following the compliant, Satish was arrested. Lithesh had a grudge against Keshav Shetty as the latter had come to his house and abused him before his mother over return of loan amount. Following release on bail, Satish and Lithesh hatched plan to murder Keshava Shetty. The two joined Shobharaj, Yuvaraj and a 19-year-old boy, who was later found by the district judge as a minor, in hacking Shetty to death when he came along with his friend to play badminton in an open ground in Soorinje on January 6, 2015.
Public Prosecutor Harishchandra Udiawar examined 30 witnesses including Keshava Shetty’s friend and also the owner of the building nearby who were witnesses to the attack. The DNA expert was examined regarding the blood stains of Keshava Shetty on the sharp weapons used by the accused for the murder.
In the order, the Judge said of the total fine amount of ₹50,000, ₹10,000 should be defrayed to the State and the remaining should be given to Keshava Shetty’s mother Gulabi after her identification. The judge directed the District Legal Services Authority to recommend maximum compensation to Gulabi under Section 357 (A) of the Criminal Procedure Code.
