Daijiworld Media Network - Udupi (SP)

Udupi, Oct 31: In connection with the ghastly murder of teacher Hebri Bhoja Shetty on May 15, 2008, through a judgement delivered on Wednesday October 30, judge of the district and sessions court C M Joshi, exonerated four persons accused in the case.

Those who were pronounced not guilty happen to be members of alleged naxal activists Veeramani, Ramesh, Neelaguli Padmanabha and Sanjeev Kumar.

It is said that naxals, who were aggrieved at Bhoja Shetty for his strong anti-naxal stance, had killed Bhoja Shetty by firing at him, duly accusing him of being a police informer. A neighbour, Suresh Shetty, who was with Bhoja Shetty then, also was killed in the attack.

Advocate Shantaram Shetty had represented Neelaguli Padmanabha, Ramesh and Veeramani in the case while Akhil Hegde appeared as advocate for Sanjeev Kumar. Neelaguli faces 16 cases in Udupi and Chikkamagaluru districts. On Wednesday, the district court absolved Neelaguli of two other cases filed in 2006.

In another case, Noor Sridhar was declared not guilty in a case in which he was accused of entering the house of Bhoja Shetty about 12 years back and trying to kill Shetty by firing at him. He was represented by advocate Shantaram Shetty. With this judgement, he has been exonerated in all four cases filed against him.