Daijiworld Media Network - Puttur (SP)
Puttur, Dec 16: The fifth additional district sessions court here, which completed hearing in a murder which happened 20 years ago, awarded life term imprisonment to the accused.
In this case, Vishwanath Rai from Sootrabettu, Puttur, who was running a finance business, was killed two decades back. Vishwanath Shetty alias Panchami Vishwa, who was the main accused in the case, was found guilty and awarded life term.
Judge of the court, Rudolph Pereira, who pronounced the judgment on December 13, had declared Vishwanath Shetty as guilty on December 13. He announced the quantum of punishment on Wednesday.
Shetty has also been imposed with a fine of Rs 50,000. If the fine is not paid, he has to undergo a year of sentence additionally. He has been awarded five years jail term and Rs 20,000 fine for destruction of evidence. If the fine is not paid, he has to be inside the jail for eight more months. He also has got three years jail term and fine of Rs 25,000 for threatening the witnesses. If this fine is not plaid, he has been ordered to remain behind the bars for six additional months.
The judge has asked Rs 60,000 out of the fine amount to be disbursed to the wife of murdered Vishwanath Rai and Rs 20,000 to Subhaschandra Gowda, who turned an approver.
Public prosecutor Praveen Kumar had appeared on behalf of the prosecution in this case.