Daijiworld Media Network – Puttur (SP)

Puttur, Dec 8: The fast track court here, which heard the case relating to the murder of Youth Congress district vice president, Jayant Rai, has exonerated the accused, Francis Sylvester Cutinho, of the murder charge.

Judge of the court, Shivashankare Gowda, in his judgment, found that the prosecution had failed to prove the charge levelled against the accused.

Main accused, Sunil D’Souza, reportedly tried to flee after firing at Jayant Rai, who was talking to Moosa Kunhi, Puttur block Congress president, K P Abdulla, and some others, on November 24, 1994 near the election office in Puttur. Those who were present caught hold of the accused and handed him over to the policemen. Rai breathed his last on November 27.

During the investigation, the policemen claimed that they have found that the murder was committed as a revenge for the murder of Amar Alva, and that Sunil had executed the plan at the behest of Francis Cutinho and Ramesh Poojary. During the hearing, Sunil D’Souza was murdered, while the other accused were acquitted.

Francis Cutinho, who was arrested relating to some other case in Uttar Pradesh, had been brought here by the local police men by means of a body warrant.