A court in Karnataka’s Mangaluru has sentenced four men to life imprisonment for murdering a man and disguising the crime as a fatal road accident in a case that remained under probe for 12 years.
The case dates back to May 15, 2014, when Gangadhara Pangala was killed in what initially appeared to be a road accident, but was later uncovered by investigators as a planned murder motivated by personal enmity.
According to the prosecution, the accused deliberately rammed an SUV into Pangala’s scooter to make the killing look like an accident before fleeing the scene after ensuring he had sustained fatal injuries.
The prosecution told the court that the prime accused, Satish Baikampady (57), allegedly blamed Pangala for his suspension from the Mogaveera Mahasabha (a fishermen community in and around Mangaluru) and conspired with the other accused to kill him.
The other convicts are Harish Baikampady (61), Bhaskar Baikampady (63) and Pushparaj (47).
Following an investigation, it was concluded that the collision was not accidental but part of a premeditated conspiracy to murder Pangala.
The court on Monday convicted all four men of murder and criminal conspiracy, sentencing each of them to life imprisonment. They were also fined Rs 15,000 each, with an additional one-year prison term in default of payment.
The convicts were further awarded two years’ simple imprisonment and fined Rs 1,000 each for destruction of evidence.
Of the total fine amount of Rs 66,000, the court directed that Rs 50,000 be paid as compensation to Pangala’s daughter, while the remaining amount will be deposited with the government.
The court also ordered the confiscation of the SUV and other vehicles allegedly used in the commission of the crime.
– Ends
Published By:
Karishma Saurabh Kalita
Published On:
Jul 28, 2026 09:21 IST
