Daijiworld Media Network - Mangaluru

Mangaluru, Mar 1: The district and sessions court has convicted five persons of murdering Keshava Shetty in 2015, and sentenced them four of them to life imprisonment.

Satish alias Sachu alias Satish Soorinje, Lathish alias Lithu, Shobharaj alias Shobi and Yuvaraj alias Appu were awarded rigorous life imprisonment while the fifth convict, Bharath, was sentenced to six months in jail for abetting the crime. All of them were also ordered to pay Rs 5,000 as penalty.

Keshava Shetty, a resident of Suratkal, was murdered on January 6, 2015. He was a businessman who ran a garage called Carline at Hosabettu. The convicts Satish and Lithesh had sought money from the victim, and development enmity when he refused to oblige. The duo used to issue threats to Keshava, and later plotted to kill him with the help of the others.

As per their plan, the convicts lay in wait all night at Soorinje Kote and when Keshava came by bike with his friend Sampath to play badminton, the five who were hiding behind some bushes waylaid the bike, dragged him towards the bushes and attacked him with swords and knives. Bharat who was not directly involved in the crime helped the murderers by hiding the bike used in the crime.

The then Suratkal inspector M Nataraj who investigated the murder in detail had arrested the five and recovered weapons, a motorcycle and mobile phones from them. On April 1, 2015, the chargesheet was filed in the court and during the course of the trial, 14 witnesses testified. A minor who was also accused in the case was chargesheeted in the district juvenile justice court. The matter is pending.

Advocate Harishchandra Udyavar was the special public prosecutor in the case.