BENGALURU: Noting that grave suspicion against the accused is sufficient to frame charges, the 55th Additional City Civil and Sessions Court refused to discharge the main accused, Sudhir Angur, and another in the case of murder of Ayyappa Dore, former vice-chancellor of Alliance University.
“Even if the accused is successful in showing some suspicion or doubt in the allegations levelled by the prosecution, it would be impermissible to discharge the accused before the trial,” said Judge Shriram Narayan Hegde, rejecting the discharge applications filed by Sudhir, accused No.1, and Rizwan, accused No. 15.
Senior counsel CH Hanumantharaya, the special public prosecutor, argued that Sudhir conspired with Suraj Singh, accused No. 2, who in turn engaged the other accused to commit the murder. Brothers Sudhir and Madhukar Angur are fighting over the ownership of Alliance University. Madhukar was supported by Ayyappa Dore which was a setback for Sudhir. The chargesheet discloses Sudhir’s participation in the conspiracy and there is ample material to show that he is the rootcause of the murder, he argued.
Countering it, a senior counsel, representing Sudhir, argued that the deceased supporting Madhukar cannot be the reason for the murder. There are three dimensions to the case as per the complaint. One is related to real estate, another to politics and the third is Alliance University. The investigating officer has not conducted a proper investigation and the real culprits are not traced. An attempt has been made to connect the accused with the crime, he argued.
After hearing the arguments and going through the statements of witnesses, spot and seizure mahazar, and CCTV footage, the court observed that prima facie, it reveals that Sudhir is the main person behind Dore’s murder. The arguments of the senior counsel for the accused are not acceptable. There is ample material to frame the charge against Sudhir, it added.
Noting that no ground was made out by Rizwan to discharge her from the case, the court rejected her application also. Rizwan is accused of harbouring accused Fayaz Khan, despite knowing that he had committed the murder.