Daijiworld Media Network – Mangaluru (MS)

Mangaluru, Sep 5: A district chief and session court in Mangaluru has sentenced a man to life imprisonment for killing his lover after she refused to marry him. The court also imposed a fine of Rs 25,000 on the accused, who fled the scene with her mobile phone and ATM card after the murder.

The accused, Sandeep Rathod (23), a native of Benakotgi Tanad in Sindagi taluk, Vijayapura district, met the deceased, Anjana Vasishta, through Facebook in 2018. Their friendship eventually developed into a romantic relationship, and the two planned to marry after securing employment.

During this time, Rathod came to Mangaluru to take the written examination for the sub-inspector post. He brought Anjana with him and stayed at Pais Cottage on Attavar sixth cross, pretending to the house owners that they were already married.

Meanwhile, Anjana returned to her hometown, where her family arranged a marriage for her, and she agreed to marry the suitor chosen by her parents. She informed Rathod of her decision and asked him to move on. Enraged, Rathod plotted to kill her and lured her to his residence in Attavar on June 7, 2019. During a heated argument, he strangled her with a TV cable and fled the scene. He was later apprehended in Sindagi.

In total, 45 witnesses testified in court, and over 100 pieces of evidence were presented. Justice Ravindra M Joshi found Rathod guilty and sentenced him to life imprisonment. Retired government prosecutor B Shekhar Shetty argued for the prosecution, while public prosecutor Judith Olga Margaret Crasta conducted the additional witness inquiry and presented further arguments in court.

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