Mangaluru: The Fourth Additional District and Sessions Court sentenced a 25-year-old man to three years of rigorous imprisonment for culpable homicide not amounting to murder, in connection with the death of a 30-year-old daily wager.
Sessions Court judge Mallana Gowda while citing the circumstances and evidence, held that the accused Kumara, a resident of Hunagund Taluk in Shivamogga district, may have committed the crime, but had no intention to kill the victim Shivappa, a resident of Bagalkot district.
Public Prosecutor Harishchandra Udyavar examined 22 witnesses in support of the prosecution’s case during the trial for the offence of murder.
According to the prosecution, the accused and victim were working in a stone quarry at Puncharabettu in Beluvayi village. The victim Shivappa was a drunkard and he was quarrelling with everyone when they refused to give him money. Shivappa assaulted an elderly person Mangalappa, when he refused to give him money on February 14, 2016. Following this, accused Kumar, Rangappa Naikar and Mangalappa’s minor son questioned Shivappa. However, Shivappa attempted to assault all three. Unable to control their anger, they assaulted Shivappa with a wooden log to death.
When stone quarry owner Sachethan filed a case in this regard at the Moodbidri police station, the then inspector Anantha Padmanabha had detained Kumar and Mangalappa’s minor son. But another accused Rangappa Naikar absconded. When the case came for the hearing at the Fourth Additional District and Sessions Court, Judge Mallana Gowda ruled that Kumara was liable for punishment under Section 304 (II) (Culpable homicide not amounting to murder) as against Section 302 (Punishment for murder). The judge also ruled that victim Shivappa’s wife and child were eligible to receive compensation through the District Legal Services Authority (DLSA).
