The First Additional District and Sessions Court in Davangere has sentenced a 37-year-old man to life imprisonment after convicting him of the murder of his wife and her sister.
After hearing arguments, First Additional District and Sessions Judge M.H. Annayyanavar found Manjunath Devendrappa of Benakanahalli village in Kudligi taluk guilty of the crime.
On Monday, the judge delivered the verdict sentencing him to life imprisonment, while imposing a fine of ₹20,000 on the convict.
The judge also ordered the District Legal Services Authority to provide compensation to the parents of the deceased women.
Public Prosecutor Satish K.S. appeared for the prosecution while Police Inspector H. Gurubasavaraj investigated the case and filed the chargesheet.
The crime dates back to 2021. On July 29, 2021, Gouramma and her sister Radhamma were found dead in their house in Davangere.
While Gouramma, along with Radhamma, worked in Anjaneya Cotton Mill, Gouramma’s husband Manjunath used to work as a mason in Hassan and visited Davangere at regular intervals.
Following a complaint by the other sister of Gouramma, Chandramma, the police took up investigation and found that Manjunath had picked up quarrel with his wife during his visit to Davangere.
Further investigation revealed that Manjunath who was suspicious of his wife’s conduct was also angry with Radhamma as he believed that she was helping his wife.
On one of his visits to Davangere, he picked up a quarrel with his wife and hacked both of them to death with a machete.
He threw the murder weapon in a drain near Bada Cross and destroyed his clothes on the outskirts of Bengaluru. Investigation revealed that two of his friends Nagaraj and Megharaj had instigated him and also assisted him in the crime.
After tests and witness accounts confirmed the murder by Manjunath, the investigation officer filed the chargesheet.
