Two Men Acquitted in Udupi Canteen Worker Murder Case

Udupi: The Second Additional District and Sessions Court in Udupi acquitted Vignesh Kutti, 24, and Naveen Kumar, 27, of all charges related to the murder of a canteen worker, Kumar, near Udupi railway station that happened on July 21 2022.

The court, presided over by Judge Dinesh Hegde, cited insufficient evidence in its decision to release the two men from custody. The ruling brings to a close a case that has garnered widespread attention since the fatal incident on July 21, 2022.

Kumar, the 52-year-old victim, was employed at a canteen in the Indrali area near the Udupi railway station. According to the prosecution, the altercation turned deadly when Kumar was attacked with a wooden club during a heated argument, leading to his immediate death.

Following the incident, Kutti, from Thanjavur, Tamil Nadu, and Kumar, from Mallatha Halli, Bengaluru, were swiftly arrested. A charge sheet was subsequently filed, detailing the alleged assault and the fatal injuries sustained by Kumar. Forensic experts from Manipal, who conducted the post-mortem examination, reported a fresh fracture wound on Kumar’s face, consistent with a violent attack. The inquest report confirmed the severity of the injuries as the cause of death.

Despite these findings, the defense, led by Advocate Cherkady Akhil B Hegde, successfully argued that the evidence presented by the prosecution was insufficient to prove the guilt of the accused beyond a reasonable doubt. The court examined testimonies from 21 witnesses but ultimately determined that there was a lack of concrete proof linking Kutti and Naveen Kumar to the crime.