Mangaluru, 1 Jan

A court here has convicted and sentenced a man to death for allegedly murdering his three children and attempting to kill his wife by pushing them into a well.

Third Additional District and Sessions Court judge Sandhya handed the death sentence to Hitesh Shettigar on 31 December for his heinous acts.

According to police, the incident occurred on 23 June, 2022, in Padmanoor village. The accused allegedly pushed his three children into a well, leading to their deaths. He also attempted to murder his wife, Lakshmi, by pushing her into the same well.

Investigation revealed that the accused was unemployed and frequently quarrelled with his wife. On the day of the incident, driven by resentment, he waited until his children returned from school before committing the crime. When the woman screamed for help, a flower vendor working nearby heard her cries and rescued her by climbing into the well.

During the investigation, it was discovered that the eldest daughter had tried to save herself by clinging to a pump pipe installed in the well. However, the accused severed the pipe with a knife, ensuring she could not escape.

Based on a complaint, a case was registered at Mulki Police Station under the Indian Penal Code Sections 302 (murder) and 307 (attempt to murder). Following a detailed investigation led by Inspector Kusumadhara and assisted by ASI Sanjeeva, a chargesheet was submitted to the court.

Prosecutor Mohan Kumar presented strong evidence during the trial, which confirmed the accused’s guilt. The court concluded that the brutal murder of the children and the attempt on his wife’s life warranted the maximum punishment.