12 sentenced to 5-year jail term in Vanatmuri disrobing case

BELAGAVI: A Belagavi court has sentenced 12 people to five years in prison for disrobing a woman and tying her to a pole in Vantamuri village. The incident, which occurred on December 11, 2023, during a session in Belagavi, was widely condemned.

The Belagavi Additional 10th District and Sessions Court pronounced the sentence, with judge H S Manjunath delivering the verdict. The accused, including Basappa Naik, Raju Naik, Kempanna Naik, Parvati Naik, Yallavva Naik, Lakkappa Naik, Gangavva Naik, Sangeetha Hegganaik, Santosh Naik, Shobha Naik, Lakkavva Naik, and Shivappa Vannuri, were found guilty of the heinous crime.

The court had earlier convicted the 12 accused while acquitting one juvenile. The CID police had filed a chargesheet, and the court had expedited the trial. The accused were sentenced under various sections of the law, with the judge imposing prison terms and fines.

The sentence was pronounced amidst high security, with the accused being brought to the court from the Hindalaga jail. The incident had sent shockwaves across the region, and the sentence brings some closure to the victim’s family. As the sentence was announced, the accused and their family members broke down in tears.