Daijiworld Media Network – Mangaluru
Mangaluru, Aug 29: Over a decade after a gruesome murder rocked a hostel in Ujire, Beltangady, a Chikkamagaluru man has been sentenced to life imprisonment by a Mangaluru court. The verdict, delivered on August 28 brings closure to a long-pending case that had remained in the legal spotlight since 2014.
The second additional district and sessions court, presided over by judge Jagadeesh, handed down the sentence to Balappa M Kalkolli for the murder of a man inside a hostel room on March 1, 2014. The incident, which took place in the quiet town of Ujire, had triggered public outrage and a full-scale police investigation.
Following the incident, Beltangady police station registered a case under Crime No. 126/2014, invoking Sections 302 and 201 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). The accused, Balappa M Kalkolli, was arrested soon after and interrogated.
The investigation, led by then Beltangady police inspector Lingappa Poojary, resulted in the recovery of critical evidence and the filing of a detailed chargesheet before the Beltangady CJ & JMFC court.
Additionally, since the case also involved provisions under the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, a supplementary chargesheet was filed by Rahul Kumar Shahapur, IPS, who at the time served as the assistant superintendent of police for the Bantwal sub-division. This supplementary document was submitted to the second additional district and sessions court in Mangaluru.
After reviewing the evidence and hearing arguments, the court found Balappa guilty. Under Section 302 of the IPC, the court sentenced him to life imprisonment and imposed a fine of Rs 15,000, with an additional six months’ imprisonment in case of default.
Under Section 201 of the IPC, he was awarded two years of simple imprisonment and a fine of Rs 5,000. If the fine is not paid, he will face a further three months’ imprisonment.
Public prosecutor Jyothi P Nayak represented the prosecution and presented the government’s case before the court. The investigation was supported by ASI Kalaimar, while police constable Mallikarjuna served on court duty throughout the proceedings.
Speaking after the judgment, a senior official remarked that the verdict reflects the perseverance of law enforcement and the judiciary. “Justice may have taken time, but it has prevailed. This verdict brings closure to the victim’s family and reaffirms public faith in the judicial process,” the official noted.
The conviction closes an 11-year chapter in one of Beltangady's most serious and closely followed criminal cases.