Daijiworld Media Network - Mangaluru (DV)
Mangaluru, Nov 25: The third additional district and sessions court on Wednesday November 25 convicted five accused in the sensational murder of advocate Naushad Kashimji. Two others have been aquitted.
Naushad, who had appeared on behalf of Rashid Malbari, a close associate of Dawood Ibrahim and many others, was shot dead near his apartment at Falnir on April 9, 2009.
There were 12 accused in the case, out of whom Dinesh Shetty of Nayataru Village in Beltangady taluk, Ritesh alias Reetu and Ganesh, residents of Kodikal in the city, Pratap Shetty from Kavoor and Subrahmanya from Kadri were convicted on Wednesday. At the time of the arrest, the police had said that they were associates of underworld element Ravi Poojary.
Two other accused - Shivprakash and Ravi Shukwani - were acquitted.
The verdict was pronounced by judge Pushpanjali Devi.
The quantum of punishment may be pronounced on Thursday November 26, sources said.
Altogether, 72 witnesses were examined in the case. Narayana Sherigar was the public prosecutor.
The five accused were convicted under IPC sections 302, 201, 120 B, 34, and under Arms Acts sections 3, 25 and 27.
After the murder in 2009, senior advocate, the late Purushottam Poojary, had filed a complaint in Pandeshwar police station here, alleging the involvement of four police officers. A CBI probe was then ordered into the case, but the order was stayed by high court after the prosecution stated that the investigation in the case was in its final stage. The case against the four police officers was also dismissed by the high court.