High Court vacates stay in appointing SPP in Bhaskar Shetty Murder Case

Udupi: The District and Sessions Court postponed the hearing of the hotelier Bhaskar Shetty murder case on March 12, 2018, for fixing the date for trial (FDT).

The hearing was postponed in the backdrop of the decision by the government, which was pending regarding the appointment of the special public prosecutor Shantharam Shetty for the case. The High Court had vacated the stay order submitted by the advocate of the accused against appointing the special public prosecutor Shantharam Shetty. Following the instructions of the High Court as the public prosecutor was appointed by the government and not by the court, the accused counsel had submitted the fresh objections to the government, following which, the government has issued a notice to Bhaskar Shetty’s mother Gulabi Shetty. In turn, Gulabi Shetty has submitted the petition urging to continue the special public prosecutor Shantharam Shetty. The government is yet to decide on the issue.

The Accused No one Rajeshwari and Accused No two and three, son Navneeth and astrologer Niranjan Bhat, were considered for the attendance of the inquiry through video conference, as they were shifted from Shivamogga jail to Bengaluru jail. The charges were framed during the last court proceedings on October 23 and the accused declined to accept the charges following which the court postponed the hearing for fixing the date to begin the trial.