BENGALURU: Seven years after a young techie was beaten to death in a road rage incident, a Bengaluru court has sentenced two men to rigorous imprisonment for life, bringing closure to a case that shocked the city in 2018.
The court found Girish V (28) and Mahesh M.K. (26) guilty of murdering Siddharth Koushal, a 26-year-old Infosys employee, and imposed a fine of ₹10,000 each. The verdict was delivered on October 24, 2025 — poignantly, the birth anniversary of the victim.
“It was my son’s birthday — the day justice was finally served,” said Koushal’s father, Koushalendar Kumar Pandey, who travelled from Bihar for the hearing. “He will never come back, but the conviction on his birthday feels like justice delivered.”
The crime occurred in the early hours of June 26, 2018, when Koushal and two friends, Ravi Prakash and Naveen, were driving from JP Nagar to Electronics City. They halted briefly at BTM Layout, where a speeding bike ridden by Girish and Mahesh brushed past Koushal. When he cautioned them about rash driving, an argument broke out.
In a fit of rage, Girish picked up a wooden log and struck Koushal on the head, also attacking his friend Ravi before fleeing with Mahesh. Koushal was rushed to a nearby private hospital but succumbed to his injuries four days later, on June 30.
Police initially registered a case of attempted murder, later upgrading it to murder after Koushal’s death. Both accused were arrested within hours; Mahesh was later granted bail, while Girish’s plea was denied.
Koushal’s father expressed gratitude to the Mico Layout Police for their swift and determined investigation. “The main accused had even threatened witnesses to stay silent, but the police stood by us and ensured their safety,” he said.
The conviction, coming after years of delay, was described by the family as a moment of justice long overdue — a reminder, as the father put it, that “the wheels of justice may turn slowly, but they do turn.”
