Daijiworld Media Network - Udupi (SP)

Udupi, Jul 1: Annappa Poojary (32), a resident of Nayampalli, Puttur in the outskirts of the town, has been held not guilty by the court here after hearing a case in which he was charged with committing two murders.

A senior citizen, Radhu Marakalti from Havanje, had been murdered on July 3, 2013, at Havanje for the lure of gold ornaments she was wearing. In connection with this case, Annappa Poojary had been arrested. A week later, on July 10, the decomposed body of a man was found from Puttur Nayampalli. The deceased was identified as Umesh Poojary after grilling Annappa, who was in police custody then.

The policemen had said that Umesh and Annappa had fought on the issue of sharing the booty in the above case on July 6, during which Umesh threatened Annappa with revealing his involvement with Radhu's murder with the police. Angered by this threat, the same night Annappa got Umesh heavily drunk and then killed him, the policemen found, and filed charge sheet against him accordingly.

Annappa remained in judicial custody. In Radhu Marakalti case, Annappa had been exonerated about six months back. As judgment relating to Umesh Poojary's murder case was pending, he continued to remain in judicial custody.

The court, which examined 22 out of 39 witnesses named by the police, exonerated Annappa of all the charges on June 29, after concluding that there were no conclusive evidences to support the murder charge. The judgment was delivered by district and sessions judge, Shivashankar B Amarannavar. Senior advocate, M Shantaram Shetty had appeared in the case on behalf of the accused.