The Indian Express has obtained a Kannada copy of the charge-sheet, originally in Marathi. Popularly known as ``supari murder,'' the Dattapa Hadgil murder case has set off a controversy in the political circles of Karnataka because of the alleged involvement of the ruling party MLA.

Last fortnight, the Solapur court issued a non-bailable warrant against Guttedar who has been shown as absconding in the charge-sheet. The same court, however, later stayed the execution of the warrant.

The Solapur police have filed the charge-sheet against 10accused including Guttedar and Maitre. They have been charged under Sections 302 (murder), 120 (B) (criminal conspiracy) of IPC and Section 25 (1) (3) of Indian Arms Act and Section 135 of Mumbai Act. The police have recorded the statements and evidences of 35 persons in the case.

One of the accused Kumar Varelu Kenchappa has been made the approver in the case and based on his revelations the Solapur police have built up the politically sensitive case.

According to the chargesheet, the deceased Dattappa Doddamani was a political adversary of Aland MLA Subhash Guttedar and Afzalpur MLA Malikayya Guttedar, who is also a Minister in the Karnataka Government.

Doddamani had worked against the Guttedars in the last Assembly elections. There was also enmity between the relatives of Sathlingappa Maitre residing in Hadagil and Doddamani.

According to the chargesheet, Guttedar and Maitre gave ``supari'' for carrying out the murder of Doddamani to the accused, Kumar Kenchappa, Hazi Malang, Hussaini Sheikh andothers and the murder contract was fixed for a sum of Rs 2 lakh.

Subhash and Maitre had a conspiracy meeting in the farmhouse of the latter at Dudhani in Akkalkot taluk, Solapur district, on the morning of August 17, 1997. Kumar Kenchappa, Hazi Malang, Hussaini Sheikh and others were also called to the farmhouse. Guttedar told the hired killers that Doddamani had come back to his village (Hadgil) and he should be finished on the same day.

Accordingly hired killers gang proceeded to Hadagil in two jeeps. One jeep was waiting at Vaijapur cross and another brought Doddamani to the spot. At Vaijapur cross, the accused killed Doddamani with knife and sword and escaped in the jeep.

The chargesheet said the hired killers after accomplishing the task met Guttedar and Maitre in the latter's farmhouse in Dudhani on the same evening. After few days, Guttedar and Maitre paid the supari amount of Rs 2 lakh to the killers at a toddy shop at Siddeshwar Peth in Solapur city.The chargesheet also contains the statementsof bodyguards of Maitre who were said to be present while the conspiracy was being hatched at the farmhouse on the morning of August 17.

The chargesheet contains the confessional statements of the accused who executed the murder of Doddamani.

It said Hazi Malang one of the accused had bought a two-wheeler out of the supari money given to him by Guttedar and Maitre.

The police recovered the vehicles used by the hired killers and also a country-made revolver with live cartridges, .303 rifle cartridges, a sword and a two-wheeler from the accused in connection with the murder.