R B Jagadish

Daijiworld Media Network - Karkala (SP)

Karkala, Nov 17: The principal civil and JMFC court here has come out with a verdict, sentencing two persons who were accused of stealing gold ornaments from a house at Kurkalbettu, Inna village in the taluk.

Finding that charges of theft levelled against Reshma Hegde (25), resident of Kunjibettu Lakshmeendra Nagara in Udupi and Rajesh Acharya (32), residing in Badagubettu Indiranagar, Udupi, have been proved, the court decided on the quantum of punishment.

Gold ornaments worth about Rs 2.5 lac had been stolen by breaking the lock of a house belonging to Chetana Shetty from Kurkalbettu, Inna village in the taluk on May 1, 2011. The burglary happened in broad daylight, and gold ornaments weighing over 20.5 sovereigns had been taken away. Chetana had filed a complaint about the theft at Padubidri police station.

The then police sub-inspector of Padubidri station, Mahadeva Shetty, had arrested both the accused on May 13, 2011, and produced them in court. The then police circle inspector of Padubidri, Cheluvaraju, had investigated the case and filed a charge sheet at the court here. The prosecution was represented by the assistant public prosecutor, Shobha M Naik, at the court.

Judge, Ramesh Mahajan Appasab, held trial in the case. After finding both the accused guilty of the offence, both of them have been awarded two years imprisonment under section 454 of Indian Penal Code, and two years each under section 380. Therefore, both have been ordered to undergo jail sentence of four years each, and pay fine of Rs 5,000 each. If they fail to pay the fine, they will have to remain inside jail for six more months. The order also says that out of the fine so collected, Rs 8,000 has to be disbursed to the owner of the house in question and witness of the case, Vimala R Shetty.