2015 Latish Nayak murder case: Five accused found guilty

Mangaluru: The First Additional District and Sessions Court here held the five accused in the 2015 murder case of Latish Nayak guilty as charged.

Judge Mallikarjuna Swami HS, on Monday, pronounced a guilty verdict convicting Mulki resident Ravichandra alias Vicky Poojary (Psycho Vicky) (32), his brother Shashi Poojary (30), Dhanraj Poojary (31) of Vamanjoor Permanki, Mokshit Salian (28), and Rajesh (30) of Boloor. Another accused, Ganesh (28), remains at large.

The court is slated to announce the sentence on Tuesday.

The incident occurred on July 27, 2015, around 6.30 pm, in front of Alake Market under Mangaluru East Police Station. Latish Nayak, accompanied by friends, was struck by the accused’s Maruti 800 while crossing the road after receiving a call. The attackers proceeded to physically assault Latish, leaving him and his friend Indrajith severely injured. Additionally, the attackers had stolen Latish’s mobile phone.

Inspectors TD Nagaraj and Bhajantri conducted a thorough investigation, leading to the filing of a charge sheet.

Judge Mallikarjuna Swami HS ruled on Monday that the charges registered against the accused under Sections 143, 148, 307, and 149 of the IPC have been substantiated. Government prosecutor Judith Olga Margaret Crasta represented the prosecution, presenting 17 witnesses and 29 pieces of evidence.

The case reveals a history of animosity, with Shashi Pujari, one of the convicted, having a prior case registered against him under the COCA Act and currently serving time in jail in Mysuru. The assailants, with a criminal background, harbored resentment towards Latish Nayak, stemming from a previous altercation.

Tragically, in 2020, Indrajith, a key witness in the Latish Nayak case, was also brutally murdered. Five years earlier, he had sustained severe injuries while attempting to shield Latish from an attack.

The fatal incident took place as Indrajith was returning from a friend’s mehndi ceremony in Bokkapatna. Mokshit, Jagga, and others orchestrated his demise near Colonel Garden in Boloor.

It is said that Jagga alias Jagdish’s longstanding enmity towards Indrajith played a pivotal role in the tragic event. It is also said that Mokshit and others held a grudge against Indrajith for his testimony in the Latish Nayak case.