Karnataka: 4 get life imprisonment for murdering Muslim man in 2015

Mangaluru: The First Additional District Sessions Judge H S Mallikarjuna Swamy on Tuesday sentenced four persons to life imprisonment in connection with the murder of Mohammed Naseer alias Naseer.

The convicted are: Vijeth Kumar (22) from Manchi, Kiran Poojary (24) from Badaga Ulippady, Anish alias Dhanu (23) from Tiruvail and Abhi alias Abhijith (24) from Manchi.

Public Prosecutor Judith O M Crasta said the court sentenced the four accused under IPC section 302 to life imprisonment and imposed a fine of Rs 25,000 each. If they fail to pay the fine, they will have to undergo one year of imprisonment.

For the offences committed under IPC Section 307, they have to undergo five years of rigorous imprisonment and imposed a fine of Rs 5,000 each. For the offences under IPC Section 341, they have to undergo one month of simple imprisonment and for the offences under IPC Section 324, they have to undergo one year of imprisonment.

Out of the total fine amount, Rs 1.20 lakh will be given to the victim’s wife Rahmath alias Ramlath. The District Legal Services Authority has also been directed to compensate the victim’s wife.

The incident occurred on August 6, 2015, when auto driver Mohammed Musthafa was ferrying Mohammed Naseer in his auto to his wife's house from Melkar to Mudipu. The accused inquired about the duo on the road leading to Bollayi and confirmed that they were Muslims.

Later, when the auto reached Kolake in Sanjipa Mooda, the accused in motorcycle waylaid the auto on the pretext of seeking the travel route and accused Vijeth Kumar assaulted Mustafa with a sword and Kiran Kumar assaulted Naseer.

Though the injured were rushed to hospital, Naseer succumbed to the injuries on August 7. The accused had even tried to destroy evidence by dumping blood-stained clothes in the river Nethravathi at Panemangaluru.

On August 5, 2015, four to five Muslim youths allegedly assaulted Vijeth Kumar and Abhi at Alabe in Kolnad. Enraged over it, they had conspired to murder a Muslim youth. Then inspector K U Belliappa submitted a charge sheet to the court. The court had examined 29 witnesses and 40 documents.