Bengaluru Court Delivers Life Sentences in Two Separate Murder Cases
A city court in Bengaluru has delivered significant verdicts in two separate murder cases, awarding life imprisonment to multiple individuals involved in violent crimes that occurred over a decade apart.
Five Convicted for 2011 Public Hacking Murder
In the first case, the court has sentenced five men to life imprisonment for publicly hacking a man to death and seriously injuring two others in Channakeshavanagar, Parappana Agrahara, in March 2011. Each convict has also been fined Rs 1.15 lakh.
The incident occurred on the night of March 21, 2011, when Basavaraju was brutally hacked to death following what began as a trivial fight at a local bar. His friends, Ashwath Narayan and Raju, sustained serious injuries during the attack. Police arrested six individuals based on the complaint filed by the victims.
The convicted individuals are Kaddi Babu alias Babu, Chinnappa alias Chinni, Burugappa alias Buruga, Antony Swamy, and K Srinivas, all currently in their mid-40s. The sixth accused, Ramesh alias Andhra Ramesh, passed away during the trial proceedings. The five surviving accused, who had been out on bail, were taken into custody at Bengaluru Central Prison following their sentencing on January 20.
Special public prosecutor B Venkat Rao informed that the court examined 13 witnesses during the trial, with the complainants' statements playing a crucial role in establishing the case. According to the prosecution, the altercation began at Gautam Bar on Hosur Road when Basavaraju accidentally brushed against one of the accused. This minor incident escalated dramatically, leading the accused to chase and hack Basavaraju and his two companions.
Life Sentence in 2021 Co-Worker Murder Case
In a separate verdict, the same Bengaluru court has sentenced Odeya Boipai, alias Sanjay, to life imprisonment for murdering his co-worker Hanumantharaju. The conviction relied heavily on bloodstain evidence found on the accused and multiple eyewitness accounts that corroborated the prosecution's narrative.
The murder occurred in 2021 when a drunken card-game dispute over Rs 500 turned violent. Kumbalgodu police arrested Boipai, aged 39, on January 3, 2021, following the incident.
Police investigations revealed that both men had been drinking when Hanumantharaju, after winning Rs 500, asked Boipai for a loan to purchase more alcohol. When Boipai refused, Hanumantharaju allegedly struck him with a wooden log. Boipai retaliated by using the same log to repeatedly hit Hanumantharaju, causing the victim to collapse onto nearby iron rods and sustain grievous injuries.
Boipai later claimed to police that he went to sleep in his shed, only to discover Hanumantharaju dead the following morning. Police treated Boipai's injuries before formally booking him for murder.
Public prosecutor KD Suresha stated that forensic analysis conclusively confirmed the bloodstains on Boipai's body and clothing belonged to the victim. Eyewitness testimonies further supported the prosecution's version of events, ultimately leading to Boipai's conviction and life sentence.
These two verdicts highlight the judicial system's continued efforts to address violent crimes in Bengaluru, with both cases demonstrating how forensic evidence and witness testimonies play pivotal roles in securing convictions even years after the incidents occurred.
