Sessions Judge Ratnakala acquitted Murthy and six others, including his close associate Langda Babu, on the ground that there was not enough evidence to frame charges of murder against them. The allegations against them were not of definite nature, the judge said.
Murthy and Babu were arrested by Bangalore police on October 11, 2008 from Kerala, where they had fled after Vinod Kumar was shot dead at a farmhouse at Bagalur on October six.
Vinod Kumar had named Murthy for murdering him in his dying declaration.
The court said it was impossible for any person bleeding profusely after a bullet injury piercing through the intestine to talk for nearly 10 minutes to doctors to help them produce a death certificate.
The Karnataka High Court had on January 8, 2010 refused bail to Murthy. A charge-sheet was filed and the trial began soon thereafter. Murthy then challenged the criminal proceedings in the Karnataka High Court and the Supreme Court. Both the petitions were dismissed.
Police had said Murthy, under the influence of alcohol, shot dead Kumar using his pistol.
