Citing lack of evidence, High Court sets aside death penalty on Dandupalya gang members
- Four Dandupalya gang members were awarded death sentence by the local court in a murder case
- The High Court found that there were no evidences to prove their involvement in the urder of Doddamuniyamma, a resident of Sunkadakatte near Bengaluru
- This is the third case in which the gang members have been absolved of murder charges
FollowThe Karnataka High Court has set aside the death sentence awarded to the dreaded four Dandupalya gang members by the Additional Court in the robbery and murder of Doddamuniyamma case. Members of the gang - Venkatesh, Munikrishna, Nallathimma and Lakshmamma were handed over death sentence by the Additional Court in the case. However, there is no relief yet to the gang members as there are still cases pending against the gang members.
Hearing the criminal referred case filed by the registrar general with regard to the death sentence, justices Ravi Malimath and John Michael Kunha absolved of them of murder charges against the four citing lack of evidence, reports Kannada Prabha. Doddamuniyamma, a resident of Sunkadakatte in Bengaluru was brutally murdered on October 15, 1999.
So far, the High Court has set aside the death sentences on six gang members in at least three cases. In July 5, 2017, the High Court, quashed the death sentence on three members in a case of murder of Dhekani, a resident of Hubballi. Besides, in July 20, 2017, the High Court had also set aside the death sentence awarded to Venkatesh, Munikrishna, Nallathimma and Lakshmamma with regard to yet another murder case where Neelakantha Joshi, a resident Hubballi was murdered.
In these two cases, the court had found that the prosecution had failed to prove the case as there were no witness in support of it. Besides, it was reported that the fingerprints were not matching and there were no medical reprots to say that the victim, Mallikarjun S Dekani died because of injuries inflicted by the accused.
It may be recalled here that the prosecution had argued that the accused had attacked the victim with an iron rod and a knife in February 19, 2000. Besides, they had looted valuables from him. Dekani had breathed his last on May 12, 2000 while being treated in Bengaluru.
