Fourth Additional District and Sessions Judge N.V. Bhavani on Friday sentenced workers Harish alias Koti Poojary and Hemachandra to life on finding them guilty of murdering fellow labourer Suresh in October 2015.
According to the charge-sheet filed by the Bantwal Rural police, Suresh had threatened his colleague Harish of revealing to a landlord of his alleged involvement in theft of arecanut. Harish then conspired with Hemachandra and some others to murder Suresh.
On October 17, 2015, Suresh had come to attend a programme of Kallurti Daiva (spirit) in Navoor village of Bantwal. Harish and four others took Suresh for a swim in the nearby Netravathi river, where the former strangled the latter and killed him. Harish then filed a complaint with the police stating that Suresh had drowned.
Following a complaint by Suresh’s wife Sunanda, who suspected foul play, the police arrested Harish, Hemachandra, Neelappa, Vasantha, and Ramesh.
On Friday, Ms. Bhavani sentenced Harish and Hemachandra to life imprisonment. The two were also sentenced to one year in prison each for the offences under Sections 120(b) and 201. The sentences will run concurrently. Neelappa,Vasantha and Ramesh were acquitted.
The judge also directed the District Legal Services Authority to award a compensation to Sunanda.
