Mangaluru: The Principal District and Sessions Court, on Monday granted conditional bail to Rajeshwari Shetty, an accused in the sensational murder of NRI businessman Bhaskar Shetty.

The district court, after completing hearing of the 40 witnesses, including Forensic Science Laboratory DNA division officer Purushotham granted the conditional bail to Rajeshwari Shetty. On April 23, 2018 the apex court had directed the district court to complete the hearing of 36 witnesses out of 167 witnesses within six months time.

While granting the bail, the court asked the accused to furnish a bond for Rs 1 lakh and to attend all the court hearings personally. It also directed the accused to not try and influence the witnesses in the case in any manner. The hearing on the case has been posted to February 4, 5, 6, 7 and 8.
Rajeswari was represented by senior Advocate Arun Bangera and Narayana Poojary in the court. She is likely to be released from Bengaluru’s Parappana Agrahara prison, where she is presently lodged within a day or two.

Bhaskar Shetty’s wife Rajeshwari Shetty was arrested along with her son Navaneeth and astrologer Niranjan Bhat on August 7, 2016 on the charges of murder and destruction of evidence, nearly 10 days after a missing complaint was filed by the victim’s mother after the sudden disappearance of Bhaskar Shetty from his house here on July 28, 2016.