Mangaluru: The Second Additional District and Sessions Court in Mangaluru has sentenced five accused to life imprisonment in connection with the 2015 murder of Madoor Yusuf inside the Mangaluru District Prison.
Judge Jagadeesh V N, who presided over the trial, pronounced the verdict on Thursday, October 1. The court also imposed a total fine of Rs 76,000 on the five convicts.
The murder took place inside the Mangaluru prison on November 2, 2015. The prison comes under the jurisdiction of the Barke police station, where the case was registered following the incident.
The five convicted persons are Lithesh Poojary alias Lithu of Surathkal, Shobharaj alias Shobhi of Surathkal, Yuvaraj of Surathkal, Pradeep of Ulaibettu and Umesh Kombar alias Umesh Kumbara of Sullia.
Murder inside Mangaluru District Prison
The incident occurred on November 2, 2015, when Madoor Yusuf was murdered inside the Mangaluru District Prison.
The case subsequently came under investigation by the Barke police. Given that the incident took place inside the prison premises, the investigation involved examination of the circumstances surrounding the murder and the alleged involvement of the accused.
The case was registered as Crime No. 92/2015 at Barke police station.
The police investigation led to the filing of a chargesheet against the accused, following which the matter proceeded before the Second Additional District and Sessions Court in Mangaluru.
Five accused convicted
The court found the five accused guilty in the case and sentenced them to life imprisonment.
The convicts have been identified as:
- Lithesh Poojary alias Lithu, Surathkal
- Shobharaj alias Shobhi, Surathkal
- Yuvaraj, Surathkal
- Pradeep, Ulaibettu
- Umesh Kombar alias Umesh Kumbara, Sullia
Along with the life sentences, the court imposed fines amounting to Rs 76,000 on the five convicts.
The verdict was delivered after the completion of the trial before Judge Jagadeesh V N.
Prosecution presents case before court
Special Public Prosecutor B Mohan Kumar represented the state during the trial.
The prosecution relied on the investigation conducted by the police and the evidence placed before the court in support of the charges against the accused.
The investigation was conducted by the then Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) of the Mangaluru Central Sub-Division, Tilak Chandra.
Following the investigation, the police submitted the chargesheet before the court, setting out the allegations and charges against the accused in connection with Yusuf’s murder.
The court subsequently examined the evidence and proceedings before delivering its judgment.
Charges included murder and criminal conspiracy
The Barke police registered the case under several provisions of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).
The charges included Sections 143, 144, 147 and 148, relating to unlawful assembly and rioting, along with Sections 324 and 326, concerning voluntarily causing hurt and grievous hurt using dangerous means or weapons.
The accused were also charged under Sections 353 and 332, relating to assault or criminal force against public servants and voluntarily causing hurt to deter a public servant from duty.
The case additionally involved Section 307, relating to attempt to murder, and Section 302, concerning murder.
The chargesheet also invoked Section 120B, relating to criminal conspiracy, along with Section 37 read with Section 149 of the IPC.
The combination of charges reflected the prosecution’s allegations concerning the circumstances surrounding the incident and the alleged involvement of the accused.
Investigation and trial
The investigation following the 2015 incident was conducted by the Mangaluru police, with Tilak Chandra, then ACP of the Mangaluru Central Sub-Division, overseeing the investigation.
After collecting the relevant evidence and examining the circumstances of the incident, the police filed the chargesheet before the competent court.
The case then proceeded through the judicial process, with the prosecution and defence presenting their respective sides before the court.
After conclusion of the trial, Judge Jagadeesh V N pronounced the judgment on October 1.
The court’s order sentenced all five accused to life imprisonment and imposed the specified fines.
Verdict comes 10 years after the incident
The judgment comes nearly a decade after the murder inside Mangaluru District Prison.
The case, which was registered in November 2015, remained before the court through the trial process before the verdict was delivered on Thursday.
The conviction and sentence now mark the conclusion of the trial proceedings before the Second Additional District and Sessions Court in relation to the charges brought against the five accused.
The prosecution was represented by Special Public Prosecutor B Mohan Kumar, while the investigation and chargesheet were prepared under the police investigation led by the then ACP Tilak Chandra.
With the court sentencing the five accused to life imprisonment and imposing a fine of Rs 76,000, the trial in the 2015 Madoor Yusuf murder case has reached its judgment stage.