HC modifies life sentence in law student murder case

The High Court of Karnataka on Tuesday modified life sentence awarded by the lower court to two persons convicted in the killing of Alyosha Kumar, a final year law student of National Law School of India University (NLSIU) in 2007.

A division bench of Justice Ravi Malimath and Justice John Michael Cunha modified the sentence of Sreenivasa and Kallesh Gowda under Section 304 of the Indian Penal Code (Punishment for culpable homicide not amounting to murder) to 10 years of jail term.

Sreenivasa and Kallesh Gowda, who was returning home on a scooter after visiting their friend at a hospital, noticed two groups quarelling near the Kalavati Kalyana Mantap. They stopped and tried to settle the quarrel. Bu18t some NLSUI students who were involved in the quarrel allegedly punched them.

An enraged Sreenivasa, who was carrying a knife, allegedly stabbed Alyosha in self defence. When Alyosha collapsed, Kallesh Gowda reportedly grabbed the knife from Sreenivasa and stabbed the wounded boy and then passed the knife to another student, Siddarth.

As the two have already served the jail term for 10 years, they will be released from jail.