Daijiworld Media Network - Udupi (SP)
Udupi, Jun 10: The murder of entrepreneur, Bhaskar Shetty, had turned into a sensational news as the accused were identified as his own wife, son, and a young astrologer. The chief district and sessions court here has concluded that the accused are guilty of the charges levelled against them, and awarded them sentence for life.
Bhaskar Shetty was murdered at his residence at Indrali at about 3 pm on July 28, 2016. The investigation revealed that the body was burnt down in a platform made for sacrificial fire at the residence of astrologer Niranjan Bhat in Nandalike village. The remains were reportedly thrown at several spots in rivers and rivulets. On July 31, Bhaskar Shetty's mother, Gulabi Shetty, who failed to get response to repeated calls made to her son, filed a missing complaint in Manipal police station. The police soon found out that Shetty had been murdered.
(Clockwise from top): Bhaskar Shetty, Niranjan Bhat, Navneet Shetty and Rajeshwari Shetty
The investigation took a new turn after bones were recovered from a rivulet near Nandalike. The bones matched the DNA of the victim's mother. This helped the police to put together loose ends.
Rajeshwari Shetty, who was arrested, had succeeded in getting bail after sometime. Her son, Navneet Shetty, and astrologer, Niranjan Bhat, are lodged in a jail in Bengaluru. Niranjan Bhat's father, Srinivas Bhat, who was accused of destruction of evidence, died due to ill health when the case was pending.
The judgement solely depended on circumstantial evidence as there were no eyewitnesses. Special public prosecutor, Shantaram Shetty, said that the case was solved after the bones which were found from a rivulet at Nandalike as per the confession of the accused, matched with the DNA samples of the victim's mother and brother.
The fact that neither Rajeshwari nor Navneet had filed missing complaint with the police gave rise to suspicion about their role. Out of 167 listed witnesses, 78 were examined. 270 exhibits and 130 MOSes were filed in this case.