Prof Ramakrishna murder case: Life imprisonment to Dr Renuka Prasad, 4 others

Mangalore Today News Network

Sullia, Oct 06, 2023: The Karnataka High Court on Thursday sentenced five persons including Dr Renuka Prasad, Director of the Academy of Liberal Education of Sullia to life imprisonment in the case of the murder of Prof A S Ramakrishna, Administrative officer of KVG Medical College. The murder took place on April 28, 2011. The court had earlier convicted a total of six persons in the case.

 

The court conducted the hearing on Thursday via video conferencing. Dr Renuka Prasad, Manoj Rai, H R Nagesh, Vaman Poojary and Bhavani Shanker were sentenced to life imprisonment while another convict Sharan had not appeared before the court. His quantum of punishment is yet to be announced.

The court has also imposed a penalty of Rs 10 lakh on Renuka Prasad with a direction to hand over that amount to the family of the slain Ramakrishna.

The State Government had earlier filed an appeal before the High Court against the October 21, 2016 order of the Puttur’s 5th Additional Civil and Sessions Court that had acquitted seven accused including Renuka Prasad.

The High Court Divisional Bench led by Justice Srinivas Harish Kumar and G Basavaraja has declared six of the accused guilty. The others who were pronounced guilty are Manoj Rai, H R Nagesh, Vaman Poojary, Sharan and Shanker. Meanwhile the High Court has upheld the acquittal of the seventh accused H U Nagesh. The quantum of punishment will be announced on October 5.

It may be recalled here that Ramakrishna was hacked to death by the assailants near Ambatedka while he was on his morning walk on April 28, 2011. A resentment over division of responsibility among the brothers is said to be the reason for the murder.

Kurunju Venkataramana Gowda, the founder of KVG Academy of Liberal Education had entrusted the responsibility of the institutions by dividing responsibilities between younger son Renuka Prasad and elder son K V Chidananda. Ramakrishna was then the Administrative Officer of the medical college. Renuka Prasad reportedly believed that  his father had entrusted the responsibilities between the two brothers based on Ramakrishna’s suggestion and also suspected that it was Ramakrishna who was managing the KVG Medical College  on behalf of Chidananda. Renuka Prasad had then reportedly given supari to murder Ramakrishna.