Mysuru: The First Additional District and Sessions Court Judge N. Krishnaiah has sentenced three persons to life imprisonment for murdering their friend, who used to pester them daily for liquor.

While those sentenced have been identified as 23-year-old Harish Kumar alias Kiladi of Mullur village, 27-year-old Pradeep alias Jambu and 28-year-old Ravikumar alias Amase of Mahadevapura, the victim has been identified as Yogesh, who was their friend.

The case: Harish, one of the person who has been sentenced, was working in a private bank and used to stay in a rented house behind Chamundeshwari Temple in K.G. Koppal, where Yogesh, Ravikumar and Pradeep used to frequent to consume liquor which was being bought by Harish.

When Harish left the job and was penniless, Yogesh began to pester him to buy him liquor, which Harish refused resulting in Yogesh getting angry and broke the glass pane of a car window belonging to Harish’s friend.

Following the incident, Harish, Ravikumar and Pradeep hatched a plot to eliminate Yogesh and on Oct. 18, 2012 night, Ravikumar and Pradeep called Yogesh on his mobile phone telling him that Harish had called him.

When Yogesh arrived, all the three pounced on him and attacked him injuring him seriously. The seriously injured Yogesh was admitted to Apollo BGS Hospital, where he passed away the following day.

Ashokapuram Police, who had registered a case in this regard, had submitted a charge-sheet against the three to the Court.

The Court, which heard the arguments found the three accused guilty and sentenced them to life imprisonment besides levying a fine of Rs. 5,000 on each of them.

The Judge has issued an order to provide compensation under Karnataka Victim Compensation Scheme to Yogesh’s parents, who are rearing cows and doing milk business.

Public Prosecutor Ajith Kumar D. Hamigi argued for the  Government.