Puttur: Ramakunja murder, robbery case: Accused couple gets 19 years' jail

Daijiworld Media Network – Puttur

Puttur, Nov 13: In connection to the murder of agriculturist and jewellery store owner Krishnaraj M N’s relative Bharati and for looting the valuables from the house after tying his wife and mother, the 5th additional district sessions court on Tuesday November 12 sentenced the accused couple Girish Poojary and Parvati to life imprisonment of 19 years.

On October 27, 2007, Girish Poojary and his wife Parvati who were working in Krishnaraj’s house had murdered Bharati, an elderly lady by shooting her dead. They then threatened Krishnaraj's wife Vani and his mother Sunanda and looted all the gold and cash they possessed, before tying them up fleeing the spot. The accused were arrested a few days later and it came to light that they had indulged in criminal activities across the distirct. The police had recovered Rs 25 lac worth of cash and jewellery from them.

On October 28 this year, Puttur 5th additional district sessions court announced that the couple was guilty of the crime.

In the verdict pronounced by judge T J Shivashankaregowda, the accused were fined Rs 500 with 1 year punishment for tying up the women, Rs 500 fine with 3 years stringent punishment for their illegal detention, 5 years of rigorous punishment for life threat, and Rs 2000 fine with 10 years in jail for robbery. All these sentences should be borne by the accused at one stretch, ordered the court.

The court altogether heard 26 witnesses in the case. The accused couple was arrested on November 28 in Kundapur. From the past 5 years, they were in judicial custody and their bail plea was rejected by the court.

When the couple was in jail, the wife gave birth to a baby boy named Krishna. From the past four-and-a-half years, the boy has been with the couple and now, the court has ordered to hand over the child to juvenile justice committee. The committee will have the responsibility of looking after the child and its education.