Daijiworld Media Network - Udupi (MS)

Udupi, Nov 6: The testimony of main witnesses in the murder case of NRI entrepreneur Bhaskar Shetty was concluded in the District Principal and Sessions court here on Monday, November 5. Thereby the condition put by the Supreme Court for the release on bail of Rajeshwari, wife of the slain Bhaskar Shetty and one of the main accused in the case is fulfilled.

In addition, the court has given an order to provide conditional bail to Rajeshwari Shetty. The Supreme Court which had heard the case of bail application of Rajeshwari Shetty on April 23, 2018, had ordered to complete the inquiry of the 36 witnesses out of the total 167 witnesses before releasing the accused on conditional bail. Accordingly, Justice Venkatesh Naik, judge of Udupi District Principal and Sessions court completed the examination on Monday, November 5. So Rajeshwari Shetty, who is lodged in Bengaluru prison, is likely to be released in a day or two. Lawyers Arun Bangera and Narayana Poojary had argued in favour of the accused.

Bhaskar Shetty

Rajeshwari with son Navaneet

Purushotham, officer, who conducted the DNA test, was cross-examined by the lawyer from Hyderabad G V Rao. The next hearing is postponed to February 24, 2019.

Bhaskar Shetty was murdered brutally at his home in Lakshmindra Nagar and his body was burnt in a Homakunda near the house of astrologer Niranjan Bhat at Nandalike near Belman on July 28, 2016. The CID police had filed chargesheet on Rajeshwari Shetty, wife of the deceased, Navaneet Shetty, son of the deceased and Niranjan Bhat accusing them as the perpetrators of the crime.

This murder had sent shock waves in the twin-districts. Srinivas Bhat, father of accused Niranjan Bhat and car driver Raghavendra, who were accused of destroying the evidence of crime have been already released on bail. Navaneet Shetty and Niranjan Bhat are still in prison. Supreme Court, which had rejected the bail application of Niranjan Bhat, had ordered that he can resubmit the application after the completion of inquiry of the 36 witnesses of the crime.