Mangaluru : A local District and Sessions Court on Thursday sentenced to life two persons on finding them guilty of murder of a three-year-old girl following reported practice of black magic in 2010.

The 4th Additional District and Sessions Court sentenced to life 79-year-old Kamalaksha Purusha and his 33-year-old relative Chandrakala. The two were sentenced to three years imprisonment for the offence of destroying evidence.

The case relates to death of three-year-old Priyanka. The child was staying along with her parents and two brothers in the house of Kamalaksha Purusha’s younger brother. Kamalaksha Purusha and Chandrakala were staying in a house nearby. The Mangaluru East police said Chandrakala was taking Priyanka to her house regularly.

On December 16, 2010, Priyanka was taken away by Chandrakala around 2.30 p.m. But she did not return home. Her parents, Firan Kumar Jha and Anjali Devi, and neighbours searched for her and found her body the next day in the arecanut farm of Kamalaksha Purusha.

The autopsy report said the child had been strangulated by the accused after pouring hot water on her. The police had seized lemon and other articles used for practice of black magic by Purusha.

Prosecutors Harishchandra Udiawar and Pushparaj Adyantaya examined before the court 18 witnesses that included persons who had seen the child with Purusha and Chandrakala on the fateful day.

Considering the circumstantial evidence, Judge Bhavani Nerale Veerabhadraiah convicted Kamalaksha Purusha and Chandrakala for offences under Sections 302 (murder) and 201(destroying of evidence) of Indian Penal Code. While Purusha was directed to pay a fine of Rs.60,000, Chandrakala was asked to pay Rs. 20,000 for the two offences.

Of the total fine amount, the Judge directed deposit of Rs. 10,000 with the government while the remaining amount is to be paid as compensation to the parents of the deceased child. The Judge also directed District Legal Services Authority to pay compensation under the Karnataka Victim Compensation Scheme.