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MANGALORE: A Puttur court on Tuesday handed the death punishment to a man for murdering four persons, including his two children.

 The Puttur fifth additional court described the case "rarest of the rare" before sentencing him to death. Last week, he was found guilty of murdering his children, mother-in-law and sister-in-law.

 Public prosecutor K Shivaprasad Alva said judge TJ Shivashakare Gowda said the convict, Ramesh Naika, an employee of a public sector bank, did not deserve anything less than death penalty.

 According to police, Naika had killed his two children — Kruthika and Bhuvan — by pushing them into a pond on October 16, 2010. A day before, the chargesheet said he had murdered his mother-in-law Saraswathi and sister-in-law Savitha in Tumkur and hidden their bodies in a water tank.

Naika had reportedly opposed Savitha’s relationship with a person from a different community, and the rest of the family had aligned with the girl. His wife Sundari, too, decided to back her sister. During investigations, it was learnt that Naika had helped Savitha study and land a job. When Savitha fell in love with a colleague, he got angry. When none of his family members, including his wife, supported him in his bid to scupper the match, Naika decided to go on a murder spree.

 Naika’s wife Sundari, who was present in the court, expressed happiness about the judgment.

 The Puttur Fifth Additional Court on Tuesday awarded death sentence to a person for murdering not only his two children, but also his mother in law and sister in law.

 Public Prosecutor K Shivaprasad Alva said that the judge TJ Shivashakare Gowda said this was a fit case for death penalty since it was rarest of the rare cases and the person did not deserve anything less than death penalty.

 The accused is Ramesh Naika, an employee of a public sector bank. At the time of the judgement, Naika’s wife Sundari and his kin were at the court.

 Naika had killed his two children, Kruthika and Bhuvan, by pushing them into a pond on October 16, 2010. A day prior to that chargesheet stated he had murdered his mother in law Saraswathi and sister in law Savitha at Tumkur and hidden their bodies in the water tank.

 The reason to this killing spree is said to be his opposition to his sister in law Savitha’s relationship with a person belonging to a different community and the subsequent support for the relationship by his mother in law and wife Sundari. During the argument, it came to the fore that Naika had taken care of the education of Savitha and also seen that she was employed. Later, he allegedly physical relationship with her. When Savitha fell in love with an employee where she was working, Naika being a control freak resisted. When none of his family members including his wife opposed Savitha’s decision, Naika decided on this extreme step.