Daijiworld Media Network - Mangaluru (RJP)
Mangaluru, Apr 25: Five convicts in the Kavoor Mullakad case have been slapped with life term. The second additional district and sessions court pronounced the quantum of punishment on Friday, April 24.
Kumar
Gautham, Gourish and Harsharaj (File Photos)
The accused were pronounced guilty on April 22. A convict among the five named Akshay Kottary had managed to escape from high police security at the court premises on the day the judgement had come. He was rearrested the evening at Suratkal and produced in court on April 23. Hence the pronouncement of quantum of sentences was postponed by a day.
Santosh Poojary (29) from Akash Bhavan, Gaurish alias Sujith (24) from Bajal, Harsharaj alias Harshith (23) from Kulshekar, Gautham alias Gauthu (25) from Akash Bhavan and Akshay Kottary (24) from Ashoknagar are the persons convicted and sentenced in the case.
The murder of Kumar alias Bongu (18) had taken place at Mullakad in Kavoor on June 15, 2012. On the night of the said date, Kumar was on his way back home on foot with his friends after buying some mosquito coils. Kumar was stopped at Kavoor Mullakad Fourth Mile bus stop by the convicts and stabbed. The injured Kumar succumbed to injuries later in a private hospital.
The said murder was retaliation for an assault which had taken place in March 2011 at a bar on Santosh, Gauthu and Gaurish by Pradeep. Santosh and Pradeep belonged to rival gangs.
Three accused were arrested after three days of the murder and the rest two were arrested subsequently.
All the five convicts have been ordered to pay Rs 5,000 fine in addition to the life imprisonment as per IPC section 302. In case they do not pay the fine, they will have to undergo 3 months additional imprisonment. As the deceased belonged to the scheduled tribe, the court has directed Dakshina Kannada legal service authority to decide a compensation amount to be paid to the mother of the deceased.
The then police inspector at Panambur police station Cheluvaraju had investigated the case and filed the charge sheet. Shivaprasad Alva K was the public prosecutor in the case.
The sixth accused Rohidas is still absconding.