A court in Belagavi has sentenced a 48-year-old woman to seven years of rigorous imprisonment and imposed a fine of Rs 25,000 for the murder of a man who refused to hand over his mobile phone for making a call.
Details of the Case
The convict, identified as Jayashree Pavan Pawar, a native of Dandeli in Uttara Kannada district and a resident of BK Kangrali in Belagavi, was found guilty in the death of Nagaraj Bhimshi Ragipatil, 36. According to the prosecution, the incident occurred on the night of April 30, 2023, near Dora Galli Cross on the way to Keerti Hotel, under the jurisdiction of Market police station.
Sequence of Events
Nagaraj was traveling on a motorcycle with his friend when Jayashree allegedly stopped them and asked for his phone to make a call. When Nagaraj questioned her demand, she became enraged, abused him, and stabbed him in the chest with a knife. He was rushed to a government hospital but succumbed to his injuries during treatment.
Court's Observation and Sentence
The court observed, based on medical evidence, that the accused was under the influence of alcohol at the time of the incident. Following a complaint lodged by Nagaraj's friend, Market police registered a case. The investigation was carried out by police inspector Paul Priyakumar, who later filed a chargesheet in court. After hearing the case, Justice Manjunath Nayak convicted Jayashree and sentenced her to seven years' rigorous imprisonment, along with a fine of Rs 25,000. The court also recommended that the District Legal Services Authority provide compensation to the victim's family. Public prosecutor Narayan Ari represented the prosecution.
