Bengaluru: A city court has sentenced five men to life imprisonment for publicly hacking a man to death and injuring two others in Channakeshavanagar, Parappana Agrahara, in March 2011. They were each fined Rs 1.15 lakh.Basavaraju was hacked to death on the night of March 21, 2011, after a trivial fight at a local bar. His friends, Ashwath Narayan and Raju, were seriously injured. Police arrested six men based on their complaint.The convicted individuals are Kaddi Babu alias Babu, Chinnappa alias Chinni, Burugappa alias Buruga, Antony Swamy, and K Srinivas, all in their mid-40s. The sixth accused, Ramesh alias Andhra Ramesh, passed away during the trial. The five surviving accused, who had been out on bail, were taken into custody at Bengaluru Central Prison following the sentencing on Jan 20.Special public prosecutor B Venkat Rao told TOI that 13 witnesses were examined, with complainants’ statements playing a key role. He said that the altercation at Gautam Bar on Hosur Road began when Basavaraju accidentally brushed against one of the accused. They then chased and hacked him and two others.Lifer for man who killed co-worker after drunken brawlTimes News NetworkBengaluru: A city court has sentenced Odeya Boipai, alias Sanjay, to life imprisonment for murdering his co-worker Hanumantharaju. The bloodstain evidence on the accused and eyewitness accounts formed the backbone of the case.The murder occurred in 2021 after a drunken card-game fight over Rs 500 turned violent. Kumbalgodu police arrested Boipai, 39, on Jan 3, 2021. Police said the duo had been drinking when Hanumantharaju, after winning Rs 500, asked Boipai for a loan to buy more alcohol. When Boipai refused, Hanumantharaju allegedly struck him with a wooden log.Boipai retaliated by using the same log, repeatedly hitting Hanumantharaju. The victim collapsed onto nearby iron rods and suffered grievous injuries.Boipai later told police he went to sleep in his shed, only to find Hanumantharaju dead the next morning. Police treated Boipai’s injuries before booking him for murder.Public prosecutor KD Suresha told TOI that forensic analysis confirmed the bloodstains on Boipai’s body and clothes belonged to the victim. Eyewitnesses supported the prosecution’s version, leading to Boipai’s conviction and life term.
