Belagavi (Karnataka): The Belagavi district Karnataka Control of Organised Crime Act (KCOCA) Court Monday sentenced notorious gangster Bannaje Raja and seven others to life imprisonment for the murder of BJP leader and businessman R N Nayak in 2013. Another accused was sentenced to 13 years in jail. The court had held them guilty in its verdict last week.
The seven other convicts sentenced to life include Jagdish Patel from Uttar Pradesh, Abhi Bhandagara from Bangalore, Ganesh Bhajanthri from Udupi, Mahesh Acchangi from Hasan, Santhosh M.B. from Kerala, Bengaljee Raja from Udupi, Jagadeesh Chandraraj from Bangalore, and Ankitha Kumar Kashyap from Uttar Pradesh
KM Ismail of Kerala was sentenced to 13 years of imprisonment under three different sections along with Rs 15,000 fine. The court ordered that Rs 30 lakh should be compensated to the wife of R N Nayak. The court has also directed Mysore city police commissioner and Uttara Kannada SP to provide protection to Nayak's son and Mysore-based woman who were witnesses in the case.
A most-wanted criminal, Raja had over 44 cases against him. He was known to extort money from businessmen through his syndicate B.R. Company. He had made a similar ransom call to industrialist R N Naik who refused to pay the money. Naik was eventually shot dead by four assailants, one of whom was gunned down by his security at Ankola in Uttara Kannada district back in December 2013.
As the investigation proceeded, Raja who had gone underground was finally extradited from Morocco in 2015. Meanwhile, police had filed the charge sheet naming 16 accused. Following it, several judges heard the case with over 200 witnesses including some senior police officers recording their statements. This was the first case to be filed under the KCOC Act in Karnataka. Special prosecutor KG Puranikamath and additional prosecutor Shivaprasad Alva appeared on behalf of the government.
Also read: Underworld gangster Bannanje Raja among 9 found guilty of murdering businessman R N Nayak
