Karnataka HC acquits man accused of triple murder

Praveen Subramanya Bhat was accused of murdering his love affair Reena Rakesh Malagatti, and her two children Aditya and Sahitya

The Dharwad Bench of Karnataka High Court on Wednesday acquitted Praveen Subramanya Bhat who was convicted in the triple murder case by the second additional district court in Belagavi.

Praveen Subramanya Bhat was accused of murdering a woman-Reena Rakesh Malagatti, and her two children Aditya and Sahitya, at her residence in Kuvempu Nagar in Belagavi on August 16, 2015. Within 12 hours of the murder, APMC police in Belagavi had arrested Praveen, who was pursuing a Chartered Accountant course. He was also my neighbour of Reena.

The second additional district judge, Belagavi had passed orders on April 16, 2018, holding Praveen guilty and sentenced him to undergo life imprisonment besides slapping a fine of Rs 10000.

Praveen had then moved High Court and the High Court Bench, Dharwad stayed the district court’s order. The two-judge bench comprising Justices K S Mudgal and M G S Kamal on June 21 (Tuesday) acquitted Praveen Bhat citing lack of evidence against him.

Praveen Karoshi, advocate for Praveen Bhat said that the prosecution at the district court had relied much on the circumstantial evidence of the family members, telephone call records and expert evidence. The trial court had convicted Praveen holding that the prosecution had proved all the links in the chain of circumstances. But the High Court Bench has held that the prosecution had failed to prove all the links in the chain of circumstances and acquitted Praveen Bhat.

Praveen was in Hindalga Central Prison in 2018 and has now been released.

The prosecution had charged that Praveen killed Reena (his love affair) by slitting her throat with knife and later drowned Reena's two kids in a bucket. Praveen had been charged with having an illicit relationship with Reena and used to enter her house, whenever her husband Rakesh, who is a cloth merchant, went out of the station.

He had reportedly told the police that he was fed up with the relationship but Reena was blackmailing him to continue the relationship. The prosecution had charged that Praveen entered the house of Reena at 3 AM on August 16, 2015, and slit Reena’s throat with a knife and then drowned the two children in a bucket.

The APMC Police had registered a case booking Praveen Bhat under sections 302 (Punishment for murder) and 201 IPC (Causing disappearance of evidence of the offence, or giving false information to screen offender.