Mangaluru Murder: A court has sentenced Dharmaraj Suvarna to life imprisonment for killing an acquaintance after a dispute over a damaged mobile phone.
MANGALURU, October 13, 2026: The Mangaluru murder case: Life imprisonment for the accused for killing the victim over a phone dispute. Here's what happened.
A Mangaluru court on Monday sentenced 50-year-old Dharmaraj Suvarna to life imprisonment for the murder of 39-year-old Muthu Basavaraj Vaddar, alias Mudukappa, in September 2024.
The Second Additional District and Sessions Court delivered the ruling on October 12 and imposed a fine of ₹15,000 on Suvarna.
At a glance
What happened: Mangaluru murder case: Dharmaraj Suvarna received life imprisonment.
Victim: Muthu Basavaraj Vaddar, 39, a Bagalkot native.
When and where: The murder was committed on September 21 in Thota Bengre, Mangaluru.
What led to the Mangaluru murder?
As per TOI and DC reports, Suvarna and Vaddar were acquaintances and the pair had known each other for only a few days.
The dispute erupted when Vaddar took a new mobile phone belonging to Suvarna and allegedly damaged it without returning it. The disagreement turned into a physical fight.
The incident occurred at around 10 am on September 21 near the seashore behind Bobbarya Daivasthana in Thota Bengre, within the jurisdiction of the Panambur police station.
Suvarna allegedly attacked Vaddar with a wooden log, killing him, the prosecution allegedly stated, according to local media reports.
What punishment did the court impose?
Judge Jagadeesh delivered the verdict on October 12, 2026. Suvarna was booked under Section 103(1) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) for punishment for murder.
In addition to giving a life sentence, the court ordered that a fine of ₹15,000 be imposed. If he does not pay it, he will have to serve an additional six months in simple jail, as per the published reports.
Special Public Prosecutor Jyothi Pramod Nayak appeared for the state.
How was the accused arrested?
After Hanumantha Durgappa Vaddar filed a complaint, the murder case was registered by the Panambur police, who started their investigation.
Suvarna is said to have fled the state after the crime. Police tracked him down and arrested him within the jurisdiction of Chombala police station in Kerala's Kozhikode district on September 26, 2024.
Panambur Police Inspector Mohammed Saleem Abbas conducted the initial inquiry. Assistant Commissioner of Police K. Srikanth of the Mangaluru North Subdivision took charge of further investigations after invoking relevant sections of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act and filed the chargesheet.
Business Fortune reports as the Mangaluru murder case came to an end with Dharmaraj Suvarna being sentenced to life imprisonment for killing Muthu Basavaraj Vaddar. The ruling was delivered by the Second Additional District and Sessions Court on October 12.
Sources
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