Daijiworld Media Network - Mangaluru
Mangaluru, Jan 26: The second additional district and sessions (special) court in Mangaluru, presided over by judge Preethi KP, sentenced Raju Kallavaddar alias Rajesh (37), a resident of BC Keri Oni in Gadag district, to life imprisonment in the 2016 murder and robbery case of an elderly couple in Charmadi village, Kakkinje, Beltangady taluk.
In January 2016, the accused murdered Varki KV (85) and Elikutti (80) at their residence in Kalerikal, Kakkinje, and looted gold ornaments weighing 25 sovereigns, cash, and other valuables worth an estimated Rs 4.5 lac.
The couple lived alone in their house, with their daughter residing abroad. On January 10, 2016, the accused arrived at the couple’s residence at around 11 PM, pretending to need water. Trusting him, Varki offered water and agreed to show him the way using a torch. As Varki stepped outside, the accused attacked him with a wooden club and strangled him with his lungi. He then entered the house, where Elikutti was also assaulted and strangled. The accused looted valuables from the cupboard and fled the scene. The crime came to light the next morning when the household staff arrived.
Raju was apprehended in Udupi while attending the Paryaya festival. He had hidden the stolen ornaments near his aunt's house in Gadag before fleeing.
Originally a laborer involved in dam construction near Banjaru Male in Beltangady taluk in 2015, Raju had a history of targeting vulnerable households. He had been involved in over nine theft cases across Hubballi-Dharwad, Gadag, and Haveri.
Raju was arrested six days after the double murder but escaped police custody in 2019 while being transported from Dharwad to Mangaluru. He was later re-arrested in Goa. The accused had also assaulted jail officials and police officers during his time in custody.
The case heavily relied on forensic evidence, including a Vicks Vaporub container bearing the accused's fingerprints, which was discovered in the looted cupboard.
The court sentenced Raju to 10 years of rigorous imprisonment and a fine of Rs 10,000 under Section 392 (robbery) of the IPC. In default of payment, he would serve an additional three months in jail. For the murders under Section 302, he was given life imprisonment and fined Rs 10,000, with an additional three months of imprisonment for non-payment. Both sentences are to be served consecutively.
The then Beltangady police deputy superintendent Rahul Kumar initially investigated the case and arrested the accused, recovering the stolen valuables. The subsequent investigation was led by DySP Bhaskar Rai NG.
The case involved the examination of 38 witnesses. Prosecution was handled by former government prosecutor Shekhar Shetty and later by government prosecutor Jyothi Pramod Nayak, who presented the remaining witnesses and arguments since 2021.