Karnataka Court Acquits 9 in Yallalinga Murder

Koppal:The Principal District and Sessions Court in Koppal on Thursday acquitted all nine accused in the Yallalinga murder case, nearly a decade after the incident rocked the state.

Yallalinga, a student from Kanakapura in Koppal taluk, was found dead near Koppal railway station on January 11, 2015. Railway police had initially registered a case of unnatural death, but a month later, it was converted into a murder case. The case triggered statewide attention as allegations were leveled that the death was linked to political reasons.

The prosecution’s case weakened significantly, with 50 of the 76 witnesses listed in the chargesheet turning hostile. The court ultimately found no evidence connecting the accused to Yallalinga’s death.

Following the acquittal, accused Hanamesh Nayak, a supporter of minister Shivraj Tangadagi, said, “A false case was filed against us. We spent 32 weeks in jail. After 10 years and 8 months, justice has finally been delivered.”

Defence counsel Gangadhar argued that the case was politically motivated. “The court noted that Yallalinga’s own brother testified it was suicide, and post-mortem reports confirmed train injuries. The case was turned into one of murder only under political pressure,” he said..

Yallalinga’s mother Kenchamma voiced disappointment with the verdict. “My son was murdered — that is the truth. He was killed and placed on the tracks. He would never have taken his own life,” she said, adding that she would consult lawyers before deciding the next step.

The case had taken a political turn when senior BJP leaders led a padayatra from Koppal to Kanakagiri and Kanakapur demanding a CID probe into Yallalinga’s death. The controversy had also led to pressure on the Congress to drop Tangadagi from the Cabinet.