Daijiworld Media Network – Mangaluru (MS)
Mangaluru, Sep 21: A man who killed his younger brother over a property dispute was sentenced to life imprisonment by Justice Sunita S G of the fourth additional district and sessions court of the city on Friday.
Aithappa Naika alias Puttu Naika (45), a resident of Nandarabettu, Kanyana village in Bantwal taluk, was convicted by the court for murdering his younger brother, Balappa alias Rama Naika (35).
According to the details, on May 10, 2022, Balappa Naika had gone to his uncle's house for a pooja. His ancestral home, where his elder brother Aithappa lived, was nearby. Balappa visited Aithappa to discuss his share of the ancestral property. During the discussion, an enraged Aithappa repeatedly hit Balappa on the head and other parts of the body with a wooden log, killing him on the spot.
Inspector Nagaraj of the Vittal police station submitted the chargesheet to the court after an inquiry. A total of 17 witnesses deposed in court. The testimonies of Dr Varsha A Shetty, who conducted the post-mortem of Balappa, and FSL officer Dr Geetalaxmi were crucial in the investigation.
Justice Sunita S G pronounced Aithappa guilty and sentenced him to life imprisonment, along with a fine of Rs 50,000. If the convict fails to pay the fine, he will have to undergo an additional three months of imprisonment. The judge directed that Rs 10,000 from the fine be given to the government, with the remainder to be given to the mother of the deceased. The judge also instructed the legal services authority to provide the maximum compensation to the mother of the deceased. Public prosecutor Harishchandra Udyavar argued for the prosecution.