One man sentenced to death, another to life imprisonment in brutal murder case of Bhatkal

Bhatkal, May 13: In a major verdict related to the brutal killing of four members of a family in Hadvalli village near Bhatkal, the Karwar Sessions Court on Tuesday sentenced one of the accused to death and another to life imprisonment.

The incident, which had shocked the coastal region, took place on February 24, 2023. The victims — Shambu Venkataraman Bhat (65), his wife Madhavi Bhat (58), their son Raghavendra alias Rajeev Bhat (40), and daughter-in-law Kusuma Raghavendra Bhat (32) — were found murdered in their house in Hadvalli, located about 25 km from Bhatkal town. The crime was reportedly committed over a long-standing property dispute within the family.

During the investigation, three individuals were arrested: Vidya Bhat, daughter-in-law of the deceased couple; her brother Vinay Bhat; and their father Shreedhar Bhat. Vidya was granted bail a month after her arrest.

Following a detailed trial, the court on May 2 found Vinay Bhat and his father Shreedhar Bhat guilty, while Vidya Bhat was acquitted of all charges. The court had reserved its sentencing for May 13.

In its judgment announced on Tuesday, the court awarded the death penalty to Vinay Bhat for his role in the quadruple murder. His father, Shreedhar Bhat, was sentenced to life imprisonment and fined ₹2 lakh.

The case was investigated under the supervision of the then Uttara Kannada Superintendent of Police Vishnu Varadhan and Additional SP C.T. Jayakumar. The investigation was led by Bhatkal Rural Police Inspector Chandan Gopal and his team, who filed a comprehensive chargesheet. According to police sources, a total of 71 witnesses were examined during the trial.