Daijiworld Media Network – Udupi (MS)

Udupi, Jul 8: The second additional district and sessions court awarded life imprisonment to accused couple who mercilessly killed an home alone elderly woman at Puttur Subramanya four years ago.

Ambanna alias Ambarish and his wife Rasheeda alias Jyoti, natives of Navalagunda in Dharwad, are the accused who were convicted by the court. Ratnavati Shedti (80) was the victim who was brutally murdered by the couple. In addition, the couple were slapped a fine of Rs 50000.

Ratnavati Shedti had two sons and two daughters. She was living alone at Subramanya and had given three rooms on rent for living. Her children used to visit her often. On the fateful day of July 5, 2019, when Suprabha, daughter of victim Ratnavati called her mother, she did not receive the call. When Suprabha called her sister, she also did not give any information. A distraught Suprabha rushed to Subramanya and found mortal remains of her mother in the bedroom in a decomposed state. A case was immediately registered in the police station.

The police, who traced the clues left over by the killers, arrested the couple on July 10, 2019. During interrogation, the accused couple confessed that they barged into the house of deceased Ratnavati Shedti and demanded to handover all the gold. When she refused, the couple killed her and decamped with gold worn by Ratnavati, all other golden ornaments in the house, mobile and Rs 5000 cash.

Manjunath, the then inspector of Udupi police station had filed chargesheet. Twenty one witnesses deposed in the court in relation to the case. Prosecution identified 53 records and six other items. Inquiry of witnesses was done by public prosecutor Shantibai. 

The case was transferred to second additional district court in 2022. Justice Dinesh Hegde, who listened to the arguments and counter arguments pronounced that the act of murder by the accused couple is proven and awarded them life sentence. Public prosecutor Jayaram Shetty argued for the prosecution.

The couple is sentenced to life imprisonment, seven years of RI, seven years of simple imprisonment and six months of punishment. All this will be concurrently served by the convicts.