BENGALURU: A strand of hair found at the crime scene led to life imprisonment of three youngsters who were accused of murdering a home-alone woman in Banashankari. A city court recently pronounced the sentence to H D Ranjith, native of H Hosur in Maddur taluk of Mandya district; Eshwar Nayak, native of Melinakere Gadde in Bhatkal taluk of Uttara Kannada district; and K Muniraju, resident of Kumaraswamy Layout in the city. They have also been slapped a fine of Rs 35,000 each.
“The act of the accused in causing death of Vipula is culpable homicide amounting to murder,” the court said.Police had recovered 36 ornaments from Ranjith, who had buried them in their land in Hosur. The hair found matched with that of one of the accused and that became the most important scientific evidence that helped the prosecution to prove the case beyond reasonable doubt.
“Circumstances show that the accused made criminal conspiracy to commit robbery of ornaments in the house of Vipula. Therefore, with an intention of robbery, they entered her house after 10 pm on February 10, 2013,” Judge B B Jakati of LIX Additional City Civil and Sessions Court, said.
According to the judgment, the accused strangled Vipula with a veil and committed robbery of about 60 gold and silver ornaments.Vipula (48) was working as Supervisor/In-charge Officer in SVS Products Company on KR Road in the city. The convicted were working under her. Vipula, who was a divorcee, was living alone in a rented house at 15th Cross in Banashankari. Eashwar Nayak was working in SVS Factory, and also served as driver for Vipula. Ranjith and Maniraju were working as labourer and security guard, respectively, in the same factory.