Killing took place as victim refused to part with his mobile phone

Mysuru: The Second Additional District and Sessions Court has sentenced three persons to life imprisonment for murdering a person in a drunken stupor at Metagalli in 2016. They had stabbed the victim, a private company employee, as he refused to part with his mobile phone. 

While the accused are Nandish and Vinay Kumar of Mogaralli Manti on Krishna Raja Sagar Road and Manjunath of Mandya, the victim is 32-year-old Basavaraju Mallappa Alagundi, a native of Hire Alagundi of Ron Taluk in Gadag District. Basavaraju was working in a private company at Hebbal Industrial Area. 

On October 17, 2016, at around 10.30 pm, Basavaraju was speaking to his wife who had just delivered a baby at his native place. As he was walking near the Kusuma Chandrashekhar Kalyana Mantap, Nandish, Vinay Kumar and Manjunath who were on a bike stopped near Basavaraju. 

The three persons were in an inebriated condition and demanded Basavaraju to hand over his mobile. When Basavaraju refused, the trio pounced on Basavaraju and one of them repeatedly stabbed him with a knife. They then left the bleeding Basavaraju by roadside and fled with his mobile phone. As it was dark, the killers thought that they could not be traced. 

However, the then Metagalli Inspector Sunil Kumar registered a case and took Basavaraju’s mobile number from his family and began tracing the call details. Tracing the tower location and other details, the Police rounded off three persons within three days of the murder. 

Nandish, Vinay Kumar and Manjunath were arrested and a chargesheet was submitted to Second Additional District and Sessions Court that began the hearing. Judge Gerald, after examining the witnesses, found the accused guilty and sentenced them to life imprisonment. The Court also imposed a penalty of Rs. 10,000. Public Prosecutor H.D. Anand Kumar argued for the State.