Four youth get lifer in tit-for-tat communal violence

Mangaluru: Four youth were declared guilty of brutally murdering a fisherman during a tit-for-tat communal violence and awarded life imprisonment by First Additional District and Sessions Judge Mallikarjuna Swamy H S on Saturday.

The court also ordered the four youth including Mohammed Asif (31) alias Achi from Ullal, Mohammed Suhail (28) alias Suhail from Mukkacheri, Abdul Muthalik (28) alias Mutthu from Kodi mosque and Abdul Aswir (27) alias Achhu from Basthipadpu Manjil in Ullal police station limits to pay a fine amount of Rs 25,000 each. On failing the pay fine amount, the four men will have to undergo simple imprisonment for over a year, court declared.

Ullal had been witnessing frequent communal clashes between Hindus residing in Mogaveerapatna and local Muslims. Six youth including two minors from muslim community in a tit-for-tat communal violence hatched a conspiracy to murder a resident of Mogaveerapatna. Rajesh Kotian (44) had set out from his house in Mogaveerapatna at around 2.30 am in order to board a trawler anchored in Kotepura jetty and venture into deep fishing on April 12, 2016.

The four youth and two minors using wooden logs attacked and clubbed Rajesh to death. In order to his identity the youth had used boulders to smash his face. Then Ullal police Inspector Ashok arrested the accused including two minors and subsequently submitted a chargesheet in the court. During trial as many as 28 witnesses were paraded before the court and 78 documents were submitted.

Head of Department of Forensic Medicine and Toxicology, KSHEMA Dr Mahabalesh Shetty conducted the post-mortem and spot inspection. DNA report confirming that blood of Rajesh matched with blood smears found on shirts of killers, proved to be a crucial evidence during trial. The court upheld the arguments of Public Prosecutor Judith O M Crasta and declared the four men guilty of murder on April 08.

Meanwhile the trial of two juveniles in conflict with law is pending before the district Juvenile board. Judge Mallikarjuna Swamy H S pronouncing the order on Saturday sentenced the four men to life imprisonment under section 302 (committing murder) of IPC.

Court also ordered the four men to under simple imprisonment for one year and pay fine amount of Rs 5,000 (on failing to pay fine will have to undergo three months of simple imprisonment) under 201 (destroying evidence) of IPC, six months of simple imprisonment under section 143 (unlawful assembly) of IPC, one year of simple imprisonment under section 148 (armed with deadly weapon) of IPC and one year of simple imprisonment under section 153 (A) (punishment for indulging in attacking religion). The court directed district legal services authority to pay a compensation amount of Rs 1.20 lakh to Rajesh's wife Savitha.