Daijiworld Media Network - Mangaluru (SP)

Mangaluru, Dec 19: A court here has found that the charge of murder levelled against the accused over 15 years back has been proved. The two accused have been awarded life term sentences along with fine of Rs 80,500 each. The judgement was delivered by the sixth additional district and sessions court here on Tuesday.

These murders had happened at Sendaragudde in Balepuni village, Bantwal taluk, in 2003. Vinesh Shetty (50), resident of Kanchikal, Shirva in Udupli district and Lokesh Bangera (55), resident of Agni village in Sakleshpur taluk, Hassan district, were found guilty in this case after 38 witnesses were examined and 90 documents were verified. Judge of the court, Sayeedunnisa, found that the charges were proved, and hence pronounced quantum of sentence.

Vanita Rai - Balakrishna Rai couple was involved with bitter feud with relatives, Thimmappa Naik - Vengopal Naik relating to property dispute. In the meantime, Prathvipal Rai, son of Vanita and Balakrishna, was murdered. The parents who accused Venugopal Naik and his driver Santosh Shetty, of committing this murder, vowed to avenge this murder. They decided to eliminate murderers of their son, and invited a shooter from Mumbai, Vinesh Shetty, and entered into an agreement for contract killing. On the evening of March 5, 2003, Balakrishna Rai laid stones across the road on which Venugopal Naik and his driver, Santosh Shetty, were moving in their jeep towards Mudipu from the stone quarry. Vanita Rai burst crackers as a mark of green signal for the murderers.

Vinesh Shetty and his accomplices Jayanth, Ganesh, Laxman, and Lokesh Bangera, who arrived in a car, attacked Santosh Shetty and Venugopal with swords. Vinesh Shetty fired on the two with his revolver. Both the injured were admitted into hospital but by they had died. Venugopal's brother, Thimmappa Naik, had filed complaint in Konaje police station.

Both Vinesh and Lokesh had gone into hiding after the murder. The court which investigated charges against the other five, absolved them of the charges. The police, who got information about the presence of Vinesh Shetty at Kanasandra, Maharsthra, went there and arrested him on August 5, 2017.

The then deputy superintendent of police, Yogappa, has filed chargesheet in the court. The then public prosecutor, Judith O M Crasta, had argued the case on behalf of the prosecution. Public prosecutor Jayaram Shetty, had placed arguments about the quantum of sentence.