Bengaluru court sentences eight persons to life imprisonment in 2017 murder case
Eight men sentenced to life imprisonment for the 2017 murder of Harish in Bengaluru, following a quarrel during festivities.
Published - August 29, 2026 12:36 am IST - Bengaluru
A Bengaluru court has sentenced eight men to rigorous life imprisonment for the murder of Harish, who was killed following a quarrel over smoking near his house during the Vijayadashami celebrations in 2017.
In a press note, Public Prosecutor Mahalingappa Uttura stated that the 58th Additional City Civil and Sessions Court, presided over by judge Sujata M. Sambrani, convicted all accused on Thursday. They were sentenced to rigorous life imprisonment under Section 302 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). The convicted are Gerald Arogyaraj, James Kumar, Venkatesh, Vijay, Kiran, Vikram, and two minors.
According to the statement, the incident occurred in the Ashok Nagar Police Station limits on October 1, 2017. Around 12.30 a.m., Harish, who stepped out to watch the Vijayadashami procession, saw three men smoking and talking loudly near his house. When he objected to them smoking there and creating a nuisance, an argument broke out. Harish allegedly assaulted the trio and warned them against returning.
The three later informed other accused that Harish had assaulted them. Subsequently, a few days later, the accused allegedly decided to kill Harish and waylaid him near his house. One accused allegedly attacked him with a machete while another stabbed him in the back. The others assisted them. Two accused allegedly crushed his head with a stone, resulting in his death.
The court also awarded additional sentences under IPC Sections 144, 148, 149, and 341. A total of ₹3.9 lakh from the fines is to be paid to Harish’s family.
Published - August 29, 2026 12:36 am IST
Terms & conditions | Institutional Subscriber
Comments have to be in English, and in full sentences. They cannot be abusive or personal. Please abide by our community guidelines for posting your comments.
We have migrated to a new commenting platform. If you are already a registered user of The Hindu and logged in, you may continue to engage with our articles. If you do not have an account please register and login to post comments. Users can access their older comments by logging into their accounts on Vuukle.
