In a chilling case that shocked Mangaluru, the principal district and sessions judge, Ravindra M Joshi, sentenced Sandeep Rathod from Sindagi, Vijayapura, to life imprisonment for the murder of 22-year-old Anjana Vashishta, a Master’s student. The verdict was delivered on Wednesday after extensive proceedings and evidence presented by public prosecutor Judith OM Crasta.
The tragic incident took place on June 7, 2019, when Anjana’s lifeless body was found in a room at Pais Cottage in Attavar. The body was discovered with cable wires around her neck, and her head was wedged between the cot’s rods. Anjana, who was pursuing her MSc at a college in Ujire, had met Rathod on Facebook in July 2018. Rathod, then 23, posed as a police trainee and gained her trust. However, their relationship took a dark turn when Anjana informed him of her intention to pursue an arranged marriage proposed by her father.
Disturbed by this news, Rathod called Anjana to his room. When she tried to end the relationship, he murdered her in a violent outburst. Rathod then stole her mobile phone, withdrew Rs 15,000 using her ATM card, and fled to Sindagi, where he stayed at Sangam Lodge. The crime came to light when the owner of Pais Cottage, upon discovering the body, reported the matter to the police, providing both Rathod’s and Anjana’s contact details.
The police investigation, led by Mangaluru South station inspector Kumar Aradhya, unearthed damning evidence, including a video Rathod recorded of Anjana’s body. DNA evidence, forensic analysis, CCTV footage, and mobile records solidified his guilt. Rathod was charged under IPC Sections 302 (murder), 380 (theft), and 403 (dishonest misappropriation of property).
After reviewing testimonies from 45 witnesses and 100 documents, the court sentenced Rathod to life imprisonment and imposed fines totaling Rs 27,000. The court also directed compensation for Anjana’s parents from the District Legal Services Authority.
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