Man Sentenced to Four Years in Prison for Killing Sister in Mangaluru

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Mangaluru : A court in Mangaluru has sentenced a man to four years of imprisonment along with a fine of ₹10,000 in connection with the murder of his sister, whose body he subsequently hid in bushes behind their house after attacking her with a hammer.

The convict, identified as Samson Francis Coutinha, a resident of Kambalapadavu, got into a heated argument with his sister, Fiona Swedal Coutinha, on October 8, 2019, around 12:00 PM after asking to use her mobile phone. In a fit of rage during the dispute, Samson bludgeoned her on the head with a hammer, killing her on the spot, and later concealed her body in the bushes behind their residence.

Following her disappearance, the victim’s father, Francis Coutinha, had initially lodged a missing person complaint at the local police station under Section 363 of the IPC. Subsequent investigation led by South Sub-Division ACP T. Kodanda Ram uncovered the crime, and a comprehensive charge sheet was filed before the court on January 10, 2020, under IPC Sections 302 and 201.

Delivering the verdict on August 24, the 2nd Additional District and Sessions Court found the accused guilty, sentencing him under IPC Section 304 (Part II) to four years in prison with a ₹10,000 fine, and under IPC Section 201 to one year in prison with a ₹1,000 fine. Public Prosecutor Jyothi Pramod Nayak represented the prosecution during the trial.