Daijiworld Media Network - Bengaluru (SP)

Bengaluru, Sep 4: The state high court, which reviewed a verdict delivered by the lower court in a murder and robbery case, exonerated notorious Dandupalya gang members, Dodda Hanuma, Venkatesh, Munikrishna, Nallathimma and Lakshmamma of the murder charge. They had been charged with killing a woman, Geetha (35), in a crime which happened within the limits of Kamakshipalya police station limits.

A division bench of the high court comprising Justice Ravi Malimath and Justice John Michael D'Cunha arrived at this conclusion. Four members of this gang had earlier been convicted of the offence of robbing the ornaments worn by the deceased woman and awarded seven years jail term a fine of Rs 5,000. In this case, Lakshmamma had been exonerated.

The gang had been charged with murdering Geetha, wife of Jayaramaiah, living at Agrahara Dasarahalli on November 7, 2000. The gang members were charged with robbing Geetha's gold ornaments and killing her. The subordinate court which heard the case had awarded death sentence to the gang members. The convicts had filed an appeal. The high court, which observed that the death sentence order was not satisfactory, had directed the lower court to conduct hearing again. In the hearing conducted again, the court converted the death sentence into life sentence.

The accused again appealed against this order. The high court, which came to the conclusion that there were no conclusive evidences to convict the accused, has exonerated the gang members of the murder charge.