Bengaluru, Oct 6 (IANS): The Karnataka High Court has awarded life imprisonment to an accused in connection with the murder of a sex worker after quashing the release order of a lower court.

The police department had challenged the order of the Sessions Court of Mysuru in the high court and submitted a criminal appeal petition.

The accused person was identified as K.C. Girish, a resident of Koramenahalli in Mandya district. The bench headed by Justice H.B. Prabhakar Shastri and Justice Anil B. Katti gave the order on Thursday.

The accused had taken the victim to a hotel on September 18, 2010 in Mysuru. He had registered the hotel room in his name and claimed that they were a couple. Police stated that after the physical intimacy, the accused strangulated the woman to death and fled with her jewellery, Nokia phone and some cash. He later pledged the jewellery for money.

The case had come to light the next day and the Lashkar Police station sleuths had cracked the case and arrested the accused. The charge sheet was also submitted in this regard to the local court. However, The Seventh Additional Session’s Court discharged the accused from the case and released him on April 25, 2016.

The police had questioned this order in the high court. The high court dropped rape charges against the accused.