Bhubaneswar: The Orissa High Court on Wednesday upheld a lower court’s verdict for life sentence to former Gunupur MLA Ramamurthi Gumango for the murder of his wife in 1995.
Last year, Ramamurthi had moved the Orissa High Court challenging the sentence passed by the Special MP-MLA court in Bhubaneswar. However, he was disappointed as the court upheld the verdict of the lower court on Wednesday.
According to a complaint filed in 1995, Shasirekha, wife of Ramamulthi Gamango, died suspiciously on August 29, 1995. Shasirekha’s charred body was recovered from Ramamurthi’s government house in MLA Colony in Kharvela Nagar.
Rammutri had informed the police that his wife had committed suicide. However, during the investigation, police found that it was not a suicide but a premeditated murder and found evidence that Gumango was involved in the crime.
Acting on the basis of their findings, police first filed a case of manslaughter and then murder. The Special Court in Bhubaneswar convicted Ramamurthi Gumango on the basis of the statements of 11 witnesses and 15 documents and sentenced him to life imprisonment.
