Mysuru:  The Second Additional District and Sessions Court has sentenced a man to life imprisonment and has imposed a fine of Rs.5,000 for killing his friend.

The convict has been identified as 32-year-old Shivu. Shivu had poured petrol to a room in which six of his friends from Nepal were sleeping and had set it on fire on Aug.27, 2014. While one of them succumbed to burn injuries later, the others, who survived helped the Police to bring the accused to book.

All the six from Nepal — Ganesh Pandey, Delhi Raja, Gajendra, Suraj, Gorak and Ramesh — were working at a hotel on Sayyaji Rao Road and the hotel owner had provided them a room to stay at Tilak Nagar 6th Cross in city. Shivu, who had befriended them, used to frequent their room and had tried to steal a cell phone from their room and was caught red-handed. When reprimanded, Shivu, who took it as an insult, vowed to teach them a lesson.

On Aug.27, 2014 at about 4 am, Shivu, who went to the room with a can of petrol, poured the same through the gap of the door and set the room on fire.

While five of them escaped with minor burn injuries, Raja, who suffered severe burn injuries died after failing to respond to the treatment.

Mandi Police, who had registered a case in this regard, had arrested Shivu and had submitted a charge-sheet against him to the Court.

Judge Vijayakumar M. Anandashetty, who heard the argument, found Shivu guilty of the crime and pronounced  the judgment.

Public Prosecutor H.D. Anandakumar argued on behalf of the Government.