3 members of Danduplaya gang spared the noose

The HC acquitted 3 members of Dandupalya gang in a case for lack of substantial evidence. They cannot be released as 8 more cases are pending against them. It can be recalled 6 Dandupalya members were acquitted in 3 different cases in 2014. HC had also ordered release of Thimma as he was a minor during the time of crime.

The High Court has set aside the death sentence of 3 members of the notorious Dandupalya gang and acquitted them. However, they cannot be released from jail as 8 more cases are pending against them.

A subordinate court had submitted to the High Court to confirm the death sentence ordered to Venkatesh, Munikrishna and Nallathimma accused of killing Mallikarjuna Dekhani of Hubballi in 2000. The Division Bench headed by Justice Ravi Malimutt and justice Michael Cunha ruled that there was lack of substantial evidence to nail the 3 having committed the crime and acquitted them, reported Kannada Prabha.

There were no medical evidences that Dekhani had died due to the assault by the gang.  The fingerprints of those suspects of Dekhani murder and those of the Dandupalya members did not match.  Hence ruling that the case does not deserve death sentence the court acquitted them.

In another case another division bench of the High Court had also acquitted 6 members of Dandupalya on March 13, 2014 and ruled that if the accused are not required in other cases they could be released. Also it had ruled that as one member of the gang Thimma was a minor during the time of crime, he could be released.

It can be recalled that on Feb 19, 2000, four members of the gang had attacked Mallikarjuna Dekhani at Coin Road, Hubballi town, with rods and knives and snatched Rs 400 from him and escaped. A bleeding Dekhani was admitted to a local hospital. Later he was shifted to Padmavathi Hospital on Magadi Road, Bengaluru. However on May 5 he died. A case was booked in Vijayanagara police station in this regard.

The police had submitted an FIR to the Bengaluru Central Jail special court on July 4, 2000 against Venkatesh, Munikrishna, Nallathimma and Lakshmi.  After the hearing the court released Lakshmi and sentenced the other 3 to death and a fine of Rs 6000 each on June 30. 2006.

Lawyer Hasmath Pasha represented Dandupalya gang and special prosecutor was H N Neelgol.