Bengaluru: Setting aside a lower court acquittal, the high court recently sentenced a retired KSRTC bus driver to life imprisonment for killing six persons by setting their house on fire after pouring petrol through a window in 2013.
The murders were linked to the horrific incident on the intervening night of April 11 and April 12, 2013, when, according to the prosecution, eight members of a family woke up around 3am to a strong smell of petrol at their home in Mysuru. Despite the prosecution submitting 83 documents and 26 objects, the trial court acquitted Sharief in April 2018. Just three days prior to the murders, Sharief had allegedly thrown a mysterious powder at the victim’s house, a matter previously reported to local police. Regional Forensic Science Laboratory, Mysuru, and State Forensic Science Laboratory, Bengaluru, later confirmed traces of petrol and kerosene residue on articles seized from Sharief.
Switching on the light, they noticed petrol rapidly seeping under the front door. The panic-stricken family saw Sharief lighting a matchstick, tossing it towards the house and fleeing. The conflict reportedly involved a dispute over medical treatment fees and financial transactions. Sharief was arrested, and police seized his motorcycle and burnt clothes, and collected samples of his burnt hair. The court cited lack of proof regarding arson versus an accidental fire, questioned the seizure procedures and granted him the benefit of doubt. Appealing the verdict, special public prosecutor BN Jagadish highlighted that the trial court had ignored testimony from survivors as well as crucial supporting statements from neighbours. Notably, the convict’s wife testified that he was missing on the night of the incident, and returned home at 5am with visible burns.
The house erupted into flames. the remaining six occupants were trapped inside and ultimately succumbed to severe burns Although alert neighbours broke open the door and managed to rescue three members of the family. The prosecution later established that the motive stemmed from an ongoing animosity between Sharief and the family.