An elderly man and his grandson were killed at Kushalnagar in February 2016

Madikeri: The First Additional District and Sessions Court in Madikeri has awarded death sentence to three persons convicted for killing an elderly man and his grandson at Kushalnagar. While pronouncing the judgement yesterday, Judge D. Pavanesh also imposed a fine of Rs. 10,000 each on the convicted persons.

The convicted persons are 22-year-old H.S. Shivakumar alias Shivu of Mallenahalli village near Kushalnagar, a mechanic by profession, 21-year-old T.E. Shivakumar alias Juttu Shivu, also a mechanic from Mallenahalli village and 19-year-old Kumar alias Kariya of Mallenahalli.

According to the chargesheet filed by the Kushalnagar Police, on 11.2.2016, the accused barged into the property of Muthanna, a resident of Kushalnagar with an intention of robbing valuables. Kochchunni and his grandson Amrithananda were the caretakers of the house as the owner’s family was staying elsewhere.

Before breaking into Muthanna’s house, the accused asked Amrithananda to come with them for a smoke. While two of the accused led Amrithananda near the gate of the house, one accused remained inside the house and he strangled Kochchunni with a towel.

Amrithananda was led away for a smoke as the accused felt that he might prevent them from robbing the house. After murdering Kochchunni, the accused searched the house and failed to find any valuables. He then came near the gate and signalled to the remaining two accused that Kochchunni has been murdered. The accused then asked Amrithananda where his grandfather kept cash and gold.

Sensing trouble, Amrithananda began to run. The accused chased him and pinned him down. After failing to get any information about cash and gold, they later killed Amrithananda with the same towel that they killed Kochchunni. They dumped the body inside a drain and covered it with twigs and arecanut plant leaves. The accused then barged into the house and searched the almirahs but did not find any cash. They later fled the spot.

Investigating the case, the then Kushalnagar Inspector S.N. Sandesh Kumar arrested all the accused and filed a chargesheet booking the accused under IPC Sections 302 (murder), 394 (voluntarily causing hurt), 397 (robbery, or dacoity), and 201 (causing disappearance of evidence of offence)/ read with 34 (acts done by several persons in furtherance of common intention).