Close X
Saturday, November 30, 2024
ADVT 
India

Court finds jailed underworld don guilty in BJP leader's murder case

Darpan News Desk IANS, 30 Mar, 2022 11:32 AM
  • Court finds jailed underworld don guilty in BJP leader's murder case

Bengaluru, March 30 (IANS) The Karnataka Control of Organised Crimes Act (KCOCA) Special Court on Wednesday found jailed underworld Don Bannanje Raja, and 8 others guilty in connection with the death of BJP leader and industrialist R.N. Nayak who was killed in a shootout in December 2013, officials said.

The shootout had taken place on December 21, 2013, in Ankola of Uttara Kannada district. It was the first case to registered under KCOCA Act in the state.

Rajendra Shetty a.k.a Bannanje Raja is involved in 44 serious criminal offences including murder, extortion and kidnapping. Authorities had issued an Interpol red corner notice against Bannanje Raja, and he was nabbed in Casablanca in Morocco. Later, he was extradited to Karnataka from there.

Raja, who was named as the 9th accused in the case, was named in several cases in coastal districts of Karnataka, Bengaluru and Maharashtra.

Jagadish Patel from Uttar Pradesh, Abhi Bhandagara from Bengaluru, Ganesh Bhajanthri from Udupi, K.M. Ismail from Kerala, Mahesh Achangi from Hassan, M.B. Santhosh from Kerala, Jagadish Chandraraj from Bengaluru, and Ankit Kumar Kashyap from Uttar Pradesh have also been pronounced guilty in the case.

Special Court judge C.M. Joshi has reserved the order for announcing the quantum of punishment on April 4.

Besides, the court has acquitted some of the accused -- Rabdin Pichai, Mohammad Shabandri and Anand Ramesh Nayak, from the case.

Special Public Prosecutor S.B. Puranik Math and Additional Public Prosecutor Shivaprasad Alva have argued against the accused, representing the prosecution.

Alva has stated that through the judgment the court has sent a good message to the society. "The police and prosecution have successfully persuaded the legal action against anti-social elements."

When asked if he faced any threats since the case involved gangster Bannanje Raja, he said there is no room for it as he has to carry out the responsibilities given by the government.

"This judgment shows that no one is above the law. The law takes its own course. If police and prosecution join hands and pursue the case unitedly, legal action against any criminal element is ensured," he said.

Raja had made an extortion call and demanded protection money from the deceased Nayak. When he refused to pay the money, Raja planned the shootout.

He had called up media houses and claimed that he had got the murder carried out, embarrassing the state and the central investigation agencies.

Various judges have heard the case for over seven years. More than 210 witnesses have recorded their statements. Prosecutors have presented 1,000 pages of documentary proof.

MORE India ARTICLES

Who are the preferred leaders to become Chief Minister?

Who are the preferred leaders to become Chief Minister?
In Punjab, it has not been very long since Bhagwant Mann was projected as the chief ministerial candidate by the Aam Aadmi Party. The Congress announced Charanjit Singh Channi as the CM face just recently.

Who are the preferred leaders to become Chief Minister?

Indian-origin blood cancer survivor meets her blood stem cell donor

Indian-origin blood cancer survivor meets her blood stem cell donor
Suneel Narayan, a 34-year-old finance professional from Bengaluru had, in 2018, registered himself as a potential blood stem cell donor with non-profit organization DKMS BMST Foundation India, dedicated to the fight against blood cancer and blood disorders, such as Thalassemia and Aplastic anaemia.

Indian-origin blood cancer survivor meets her blood stem cell donor

US authorities charge 6 Indian call centres, directors in alleged scam

US authorities charge 6 Indian call centres, directors in alleged scam
The six companies and their directors were charged with conspiring with a company that provides telephone services over the internet, E Sampark, and its director, Guarav Gupta, "to forward tens of millions of scam calls to American consumers".

US authorities charge 6 Indian call centres, directors in alleged scam

12 held in Delhi for duping people on pretext of providing airline jobs

12 held in Delhi for duping people on pretext of providing airline jobs
Ten of the arrested persons have been identified as Neeraj Kumar, Amir, Sandhya, Neeta Rawat, Muskaan, Harpreet Kaur, Nisha, Jaya and Deepika Moni, all residents of Delhi, and Sonu, a resident of Haryana.

12 held in Delhi for duping people on pretext of providing airline jobs

BJP-led alliance promises to waive debt of Punjab farmers

BJP-led alliance promises to waive debt of Punjab farmers
Punjab BJP chief Ashwani Sharma said the alliance government will set up a special task force to probe the sacrilege incidents and fast-track courts to try such cases.

BJP-led alliance promises to waive debt of Punjab farmers

Punjab CM's nephew sent to ED custody till Feb 8

Punjab CM's nephew sent to ED custody till Feb 8
The ED on late Thursday arrested him after over eight hours of questioning. He was summoned for the second time. Honey was earlier summoned by the ED to join the investigation on January 23, but he skipped the first summon on health issues and did not join the investigation.

Punjab CM's nephew sent to ED custody till Feb 8