The 11th fast-track sessions court on Wednesday convicted cab driver Shivakumar for the kidnap, rape and murder of BPO employee Pratibha Srikantmurthy. Shivakumar had kidnapped Pratibha on December 13, 2005, and her body was discovered in Anjanapura New Layout under Kumara Swamy Layout police limits three days later. The judge posted the pronouncement of sentence to October 8 after hearing the arguments on the case.
Fast-track court judge B.V. Guddali convicted Shivakumar of all three charges under IPC Sections 366 (kidnap), Section 376 (rape) and Section 302 (murder). When the matter came up on Wednesday, the judge told the accused that he has been proved guilty of the charges levelled against him. Shivakumar pleaded innocence saying he had been trapped in the case. He also pleaded leniency citing that he was married and had to support aged parents. The court, later, heard the arguments over the sentence by the prosecution and the defence counsels. The order on the sentence has been posted for October 8.
Pratibha’s mother Gowramma, who has been fighting a lone battle for justice after the gruesome murder of her only daughter, broke down after hearing the court’s order and said, “He (Shivakumar) should be hanged, should be given the death sentence. It should be a lesson for others not to commit such cold blooded crimes. If such people go scot-free, the crimes will only increase,” she said. “The accused is pleading that he has a wife and aged parents, what about me, I am all alone after my only daughter was murdered. Let us wait for October 8 then I will speak,” she said.
“In case justice is not done, I will not keep quiet, I will fight the case in the high court,” she said. Pratibha’s uncle Srinivas, a retired RBI employee, said if the convict goes for an appeal he should not be entertained.