Pics: Umesh Marpalli

Daijiworld Media Network -Udupi (SP)

Udupi, Jul 3: Examination of witnesses in the famous murder case of NRI entrepreneur, Bhaskar Shetty, began on Monday July 2 in the district chief and sessions court here. On the first day, district public prosecutor Shanthi Bai, obtained statement of Gulabi Shetty, mother of Bhaskar Shetty.

On Tuesday, statement of the then Manipal police inspector, Girish, who was the first investigating officer in the case and who also happens to be a witness, would be recorded.

Advocate for the accused, Ashwin Kumar Joshi, had sought time to cross examine Gulabi Shetty on the first day. Judge of the court, Venkatesh Naik, gave him time for the same. He will be cross examining Gulabi on Tuesday.

The accused are currently lodged in Parappana Agrahara central prison at Bengaluru. Bringing them for every hearing is a challenging task as the district prison here is being repaired, and in Mangaluru prison, the accused had been attacked in the past. Therefore, because of the question of security involved, the accused, Rajeshwari Shetty, Navaneet Shetty and Niranjan Bhat, were produced through video conferencing facility in the open court. Father of accused Niranjan Bhat, Srinivas Bhat and car driver Raghavendra, both of whom are out on bail, were present in the court.

As per the Supreme Court order, tight security was provided to the court and metal detector had been fitted in front of the court hall. District superintendent of police, Laxman Nimbargi, was present during the hearing, while deputy superintendents of police, Jaishankar and Raghavendra were in charge of security.

Rajeshwari, wife of Bhaskar, and their son, Navaneet Shetty, face the charges of killing Bhaskar Shetty at his own house at Indrali in the city with the help of Niranjan Bhat. Allegedly, his body was then burnt down after cutting it into pieces in the hearth meant for sacrificial fire at the home of Niranjan Bhat at Nandalike.

Out of 167 witnesses, 44 would be examined on July 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 16, 17, 18 and 19. Supreme Court, through an order passed on April 23 this year, had ordered to complete the examination of witnesses within six months and then release Rajeshwari Shetty on bail.