High Court orders release of Dandupalya gang member

The Karnataka High Court on Friday ordered release of Thimma, one of the convicted members of the Dandupalya gang, who are known to be notorious thieves and murderers.

Thimma aliyas Kothi Thimma had approached the court seeking directions for his release claiming that he was a minor when he committed the crime but was tried as a major.

A division bench comprising Justice B S Patil and Justice B V Nagarathna passed an order through a video conference from Dharwad and Kalaburagi respectively directing the release of Thimma. The court passed the order on the ground that Thimma’s school register had mentioned his date of birth and the lower court had also opined that he was a minor.

Thimma was a minor when he committed the crime in April 1998. He was arrested in October 1999 for theft and murder of Ranganath in Halasuru. He was tried under law as a major in the lower court and was convicted and sentenced to life imprisonment. He has already spent 18 years in prison.

His petition in the high court was sent to the lower court for confirmation of his age where on two instances, the lower court had confirmed that Thimma was a minor at the time of his arrest.

However, the prosecution had argued that the documents produced by Thimma, including the school register, were doctored. Thimma had sought directions from the high court to be released from prison under provisions of the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2000.