Daijiworld News Network - Udupi (GA)

Udupi, Feb 3: The much-awaited verdict in the sensational murder case of Joseph D'Souza of Kukkikatte is out.   The Udupi district Sessions judge in his judgement stated that prosecution had failed in proving the guilt of the accused and hence acquitted them.

Joseph D'Souza (45), the owner of "Under Ground" apparel shop in the ground floor of Sriram Residency here had gone missing from March 3, 2005.  During the investigation, the police had detected bloodstains near his house at Padmanabhnagar at Kukkikatte here.  Further, Joseph's scooter was found near the Chitrabail forest at Pernankila on April 2.

When police intensified their search, they found Joseph's dead body in the Chitrabail forest on April 5 in a decomposed state.  The police had registered a murder case in this regard.  The enquiry in the following days had revealed that there was a dispute between Joseph and his elder brother Anthony over a property at Kukkikatte.  Accordingly, the police subjected Anthony to interrogation, which eventually unfolded the mystery shrouding Joseph's murder.

The police investigation revealed that Anthony had given a killer-contract of Rs 1 lac to one Denis D'Souza and Mubarak alias Salim to get rid of his younger brother Joseph.  So on March 31 night, Joseph was finished off by the contract killers.  Thereafter, they had dumped his body in the Chitrabail forest.

The police succeeded in nabbing both Denis and Mubarak who were absconding in Mangalore.  Udupi circle inspector Praveen Naik had filed the chargesheet ithe soon after.  While Anthony and Mubarak were later released on bail, Denis was in judicial custody.

Now with the verdict of the session court, all the three accused have been acquitted and let free.