Mangalore: Attack on Hindu Jagran Vedike leader - two sentenced
Daijiworld Media Network – Mangalore (SP)
Mangalore, Jul 4: The third additional district and sessions court here has found Mohammed Shariff alias Kunta Shariff (24) from Farangipet in the taluk, and Ubaidulla (29) from Valachchil Padavu, guilty of launching murderous assault on Raviraj (52), a Hindu Jagran Vedike leader, at Bantwal five years ago.
Judge of the third additional and sessions court, P N Desai, who conducted the hearing, found that charges leveled against the above accused have been proved. On July 2, he pronounced the quantum of sentences. Both the accused have been sentenced to three years of imprisonment each, and a fine of Rs 10,000 each has been imposed on them. A sum of Rs 20,000 so collected has been ordered to be paid to Raviraj.
Raviraj was the convener of Bantwal unit of Hindu Jagran Vedike. On the night of December 24, 2007, the severed head of cow was found to have been kept in front of Saraswati Xerox shop run by Raviraj at B C Road Junction. A note which warned Raviraj that he and the Sangh Parivar outfits with whom he had links, will face the fate similar to that of the cow, was found stuck to the cow’s head. The incident had given rise to curiosity and a sense of uneasiness in the town. Later, Raviraj had filed a complaint about this episode in Bantwal police station.
Angered by the fact that a police complaint had been filed relating to this incident, people named as accused in the case, Mohammed Shariff alias Kunta Shariff and Ubaidulla, accompanied by some of their accomplices, entered the platform of the said Xerox copy on the night of May 20, 2008 when Raviraj was closing his shop, and assaulted him with lethal weapons. Raviraj had suffered serious injuries in his head, hands, and shoulder.
A murder-attempt case was registered in this connection. After investigation, sub-inspector, Madhava K, had filed chargesheet against eight persons including Mohammed Shariff and Ubaidulla in the court.
Finding that the charge of hatching a conspiracy levelled against the other accused have not been conclusively proved, the judge exonerated them of these charges. Public prosecutor, Shivaprasad Alva K, had appeared for the prosecution in the case.