Sullia Acid Attack Case Cracked; Three Arrested

On the night of 27/02/2007 at about 2200 hrs some unknown persons had come to the house of Mr.Venkappa Gowda (45) advocate and President of Sullia Bar Council located at Beeramangala Sullia town in the guise of discussing some court case and had thrown acid on him and had run away from the spot on a motorcycle. Mr. Venkappa Gowda who had sustained grievous injuries on the front chest portion of his body and his wife Mrs. Champa who had sustained burn injuries on her right hand while trying to rescue her husband were taken to a local hospital and administered preliminary treatment and from there Venkappa Gowda was shifted to A.J. hospital Mangalore for advanced treatment.

In this connection a case in Sullia P.S. Cr. No. 33/2007 U/s 307 r/w 34 IPC was registered and the investigation of the case was assigned Mr. Karunakara Shetty CPI Sullia.

During the course of investigation the motorcycle used by the culprits was traced. The motorcycle was taken on hire on the day of the incident from a local person in Sullia by one Narayana K.S (31) S/o Sheshappa Gowda R/o Sampaje, Sullia Taluk. The said Narayana was secured by the Police on the evening of 02/03/2007. During detailed interrogation, Narayana confessed to the crime and narrated the entire sequence of events and the motive behind the offence. Based on his confession two more persons were also secured. Viz,

1. Usman (42) S/o Mohammad Kunhi R/o Chattekallu House Sampaje village Sullia Taluk.
2. Santhosh Gowda (20) S/o. Ballanna Gowda R/o Mudiyaru Delampady Village Kasaragod District Kerala State.

Accused Usman was earlier a client of advocate Venkappa Gowda in connection with some civil dispute in the local Civil Court. Later, due to some differences, he withdraw his case from Venkappa Gowda and assigned to some other lawyer. But still he had developed animosity against Venkappa Gowda and wanted to take revenge against him. Hence he hatched a conspiracy with his worker and associate Narayana to attack and kill Venkappa Gowda.

On the day of the incident (27/02/07) accused Narayana hired a motorcycle and called Santosh Gowda and another person to Sullia. The three of them then collected some acid from Usman and made a call to Venkappa Gowda pretending to be some litigants and requested for an appointment. When Venkappa Gowda asked them to come to his residence in the night; the three of them went to his house at about 2200 hrs on the motorcycle. While Narayana stood near the motorcycle; the other two went to the house of Venkappa Gowda.

At the house of Venkappa Gowda, while one of them engaged Venkappa Gowda in a conversation; the other threw acid on him. After the incident all the three escaped on the same motorcycle.

The three accused arrested are being produced before the Jurisdictional Judicial Magistrate after completion of their interrogation and arrest formalities.

One more accused is yet to be caught.