Mumbai’s supari killer, associate awarded life imprisonment

MANGALURU: The sixth additional district and sessions court awarded life imprisonment to Mumbai’s supari killer

Vinesh Shetti

and his associate

Lokesh Bangera

on Tuesday. They have been fined a total of Rs 80,500 each.

Public prosecutor Jayarama Shetty said the accused have been convicted after 16 years. The case was reported in 2003. He said

Vanitha Rai

and her husband Balakrishna Rai had a property dispute with their relative

Venugopal Nayak

. Their son

Prithvipal Rai

was murdered in 2002 and they held

Venugopal Rai

and his driver

Santhosh Shetty

responsible for his death and wanted to kill them. The couple approached Vinesh Shetti from Shirva who was based in Mumbai. He was a

supari killer

and had several Arms Act cases against him in Mumbai, said the public prosecutor.

On March 5, 2003, at 7pm, when Venugopal Nayak and his driver Santhosh were returning back home from a quarry and travelling in a jeep towards Mudipu, Balakrishna blocked the road by placing stones. When they reached the spot, to alert Vinesh Shetti and his gang, Vanitha Rai burst crackers. That was when Jayantha, Lakshmana, Ganesh, Lokesh Bangera, associates of Vinesh, came in a car and attacked Venugopal and Santhosh with swords. Vinesh opened fire at them with his revolver. The duo was rushed to the hospital and were declared dead on arrival.

Venugopal’s brother Thimappa filed a complaint and a case was registered at the Konaje police station limits. DySp

K S Yogappa

filed a chargesheet against the seven accused in the case. While five of them were arrested, Vinesh and his associate Lokesh were absconding. Meanwhile, a trial was conducted against the five accused, and they were released.

On August 5, 2017, Vinesh was arrested from Sandra in Maharashtra. His associate Lokesh, a resident of Sakleshpur, was arrested in 2010 and a trial began against the two. The court examined 38 witnesses and marked 90 documents and 22 properties in connection with the case.

Judge Sayeedunnisa awarded life imprisonment and levied a fine of Rs 50,000 each on both the convicts under section 109 (abetment), 120 (b) (criminal conspiracy) and 302( Murder) of the IPC. In addition, under IPC section 143 (unlawful assembly), 147( rioting) and 148 (rioting, armed with deadly weapon), the convicts have been awarded with six months of imprisonment and a fine of Rs 10,000 each (for each section).

Under section 341 (wrongful restraint), they will undergo one month of imprisonment and pay a fine of Rs 500. Public prosecutor Judith O M Crasta had argued the case and Jayarama Shetty argued on the sentence.

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