Life Sentences in 2019 Chit Fund Operator Murder

A Mangaluru court sentenced Jonas Samson and Victoria Mathias to life imprisonment for the 2019 murder of chit fund operator Shrimati Shetty, whose severed body parts were found in gunny bags across the city. They were convicted under multiple sections of the Indian Penal Code, involving murder, extortion, and evidence tampering.

In a landmark judgment, a court in Mangaluru has sentenced Jonas Samson, 35, and Victoria Mathias, 47, to life imprisonment for the heinous 2019 murder of chit fund operator Shrimati Shetty, whose mutilated body was discovered in various locations around the city.

The First Additional District and Sessions Court, under Judge Mallikarjuna Swamy HS, handed down the verdict. Both Samson and Mathias were convicted under Indian Penal Code (IPC) Section 302 for murder and Section 34 for common intent, leading to life imprisonment and a Rs. 25,000 fine each. Failure to pay would mean an additional year in prison. They were also punished under IPC Section 201 for causing the disappearance of evidence and IPC Section 392 for extortion.

The court additionally sentenced Raju, 34, to six and a half months for aiding in the concealment of stolen property. The judgment has brought a sense of closure to the victim's family, with the court directing Rs. 75,000 compensation to Shetty's mother, facilitated through the legal services authority.

(With inputs from agencies.)