Five of nine convicts sentenced to life for murdering whistleblower in Belagavi

The II District and Sessions Court has found nine people guilty of the murder of a 40-year-old whistleblower in Goundawada village of Belagavi district.

Judge N.K. Gangadhar found the nine guilty of killing Satish Patil in June 2022.

The judge sentenced five out of the nine offenders to life imprisonment and four to one year rigorous imprisonment.

The verdict was given on Saturday.

The victim fought encroachment of land belonging to Sri Bhairavnath temple.

Satish Patil found out that some people with clout encroached upon temple land. He put up a fight against them. But he was brutally murdered.

After conducting trial in the murder case and hearing arguments, the judge sentenced Jayappa Niljakar, Anand Kutre, Sasikala Kutre, Mahantesh Niljakar and Arnav Kutre to life imprisonment.

The accused were fined a total of ₹13,75,000.

The remaining four convicts were sentenced to one year rigorous imprisonment.

The victim’s family has welcomed the judgment and thanked villagers, police officers and lawyers who helped them in their fight for justice.

Officers from the Kakati Police Station who investigated the case arrested the nine accused.