Silvester D'Souza
Daijiworld Media Network - Kundapur (SP)

Kundapur, Oct 14: The additional district and sessions court here, which was hearing a murder case, sentenced the accused to life imprisonment through a judgement delivered on Friday October 13. It found Mudalagiri Gowda alias Raja, resident of Turuvekere in Tumakuru district, who had been accused of killing the owner of a truck who was sleeping behind the truck that had been parked by the side of service road near Sangam area in the town, guilty of the offence. It sentenced him to life term imprisonment.

The case of murder was filed in Kargal police station in Shivamogga district on the basis of complaint filed by Rajendra from Kargal. The police, during investigation, had transferred the case to the town station, as the said crime had taken place within the jurisdiction of the police station here. The then police circle inspector, Madan Gaonkar, had filed charge sheet in the court. During the hearing, 27 witnesses were examined. Judge of the additional district and sessions court, after hearing the case, pronounced the verdict as per which Mudalagiri Gowda has been ordered to undergo life term imprisonment, seven years rigorous imprisonment for destruction of evidence and twelve years jail term for offences under sections 392 and 404 of Indian Penal Code. The accused was also ordered to pay fine of 65,000 for various offences. The sentences will run simultaneously.

Siddesh alias Raju from Nanjangud near Mysuru had brought a load of packaging paper from Pandavapura to a packaging factory at Koteshwar near here on March 4, 2012 in his truck. Mudalagiri Raja was the second driver of the truck. As the truck was empty, they had contacted the transport office here about the possibility of carrying any load on return journey. When Siddesh was sleeping at night, Mudalagiri Raja allegedly hit his head with a spanner and killed him, and took Rs 20,000 and cellphone found in the pocket of his trousers. He covered the body with tarpaulin and was driving truck back when on the way, he threw away the cellphone belonging to Siddesh near Trasi. As the diesel in the truck got exhausted near Nilakalali village on Bhatkal - Sagar road, he had parked the truck by the side of the road and fled. A local, Rajendra, observing that nauseating smell was emanating from the truck, had found decomposed body covered by tarpaulin inside the vehicle. He immediately contacted Kargal polcie station.

Initially, public prosecutor, Srinivas Hegde, had presented the case in the court. In the recent past, Harshchandra Udayavar had argued on behalf of the prosecution.