Daijiworld Media Network – Mangalore

Mangalore, Sep 19: Sandeep alias Rock and Harish Tholar, aides of underworld don Bannanje Raja who were accused of murdering building Subba Rao in 2007, have been aquitted by the district sessions court.

It may be recalled that on July 30, 2007, Subba Rao of Mayur Builders and Promoters was shot while on his way home from his office in Ganesh Mahal building, K S Rao Road at around 9.45 pm.

While he was about to get into his Hyundai car along with Sudesh, editor of Karavali Marutha, a Kannada weekly promoted by Rao, accused Sandeep alias Rao and Harish Tholar are said to have shot Rao and fled from the scene. When Sudesh tried to catch the accused, Sandeep allegedly shot him in the arm and escaped. Rao was killed in the shootout.

A year after the complaint was registered, district anti-rowdy squad led by inspector Prakash K arrested Sandeep, while Harish was arrested by the Bangalore crime branch police and produced before the court.

Bunder police station inspector Umesh Ganapathy Shet stated before the the judiciary that Subba Roa had been murdered by Bannaje Raja aides for not paying him 'hafta'. There were about 21 witnesses in the case.

It was contested that the accused were innocdent and had been falsely framed a year after the complaint was lodged. The police at the very beginning had told the judiciary that the accused were unknown to the witnesses.

The defence pointed out that the indentification parade to recognize the accused was held a month after they were arrested. This point was also admitted by the witnesses. Hence, the identification parade has no meaning, and moreover the witnesses faltered and could not corroborate during cross-examination. The argument put forth by the defence that the statements of the witnesses could not be relied upon was upheld by the court, and the accused were thereby acquitted. P P Hegde fought the case on behalf of the accused.