Daijiworld Media Network – Mangaluru
Mangaluru, Apr 25: In connection with the murder of a woman from Nidodi, the first additional district and sessions court in Mangaluru has acquitted the accused, Shekhar Shetty.
On January 12, 2016, Revathi, a resident of Yamula House in Nidodi, left home saying she was heading to Nidodi, but never returned. Based on a complaint filed by her brother, Timmapa Madival, a missing person case was registered at Moodbidri police station.
He had expressed suspicion about Shekhar Shetty, a resident of Shunthila Padavi. However, during detailed interrogation, Shekhar did not provide any useful information. Meanwhile, Shekhar left his house, and his wife Dayavathi filed a complaint stating that he had gone missing.
Later, on January 18, 2016, Shekhar appeared at the station and confessed to the crime. He revealed that he had developed a relationship with Revathi after meeting her during her visits to Shunthila Padavi for beedi work. Facing financial difficulties, Shekhar had taken Revathi’s gold jewellery and pledged it to obtain loans. In November 2015, he had pledged one of her gold chains at a cooperative society. As Revathi frequently pressured him to retrieve the pledged jewellery, he lured her to an isolated area in Padlaguri on January 12, 2016, and murdered her. He then took the police to Padlaguri and showed them the location of her body.
During the trial, the defence counsel argued that the DNA report indicated the biological samples sent by the investigating officer for examination were not adequate or proper for testing.
Considering this, Judge Mallikarjuna Swamy of the first additional district and sessions court observed that the prosecution had failed to prove the case and acquitted the accused.