Kalburgi assassination: Two years on, CID fails to catch culprits

News Network
August 30, 2017

Bengaluru, Aug 30: The Criminal Investigation Department (CID) probe into the assassination of Kannada writer Prof M M Kalburgi seems to have hit a dead-end.

It has been two years since Prof Kalburgi was shot dead at his Kalyananagar house in Dharwad on August 30, 2015.

The lone satisfaction for the CID in the last two years is the ‘conclusion’ that the two assailants who shot dead rationalists Narendra Dabholkar (65) and Govind Pansare (84) in Maharashtra were involved in Prof Kalburgi’s killing too.

Despite Chief Minister Siddaramaiah’s statement that the investigation is in final stage, the CID top brass is tight-lipped about the case.

“We are doing our best and will do our best to solve the case,” Director General of Police (CID), H C Kishore Chandra said.

He maintained that there was no delay in solving the case. “Neither there are any challenges nor is there any delay.” He was quick to add, “In fact, we were the first agency to establish the involvement of same men in the assassinations of Dabholkar, Pansare and Kalburgi.”

Though the police suspect involvement of the same gang in all the three murders, officers lack evidences to establish their suspicion.

“Our biggest problem is lack of strong leads. We can only suspect, but can’t establish our suspicion with evidences,” pointed out a senior officer involved in the investigation.

“Kalburgi was killed over ideological, historical and religious issues. Unfortunately, there are no conclusive evidences to establish this,” he said.

The investigation carried out so far points fingers at two sects of Hinduism---one in Karnataka and the other in Maharashtra. Prof Kalburgi was opposed to a sect in Karnataka and exposed certain religious preachers.

He openly condemned preachers of Hinduism.

The two sects plotted the murder and executed the plan through contract killers, the police said.

Property dispute ruled out

Two other possible causes, property dispute and domestic issues, have been disproved by the police.

Even Prof Kalburgi’s close associates express similar views. They criticised the CID’s delay in questioning Dr Virendra Tawde and Samir Vishnu Gaikwad arrested by the CBI and the Special Investigation Team in Dabholkar and Pansare murder cases respectively. They allege that the state government is under pressure from religious leaders and hence Dr Tawde and Gaikwad have not been questioned so far despite the information that the they were involved in all the three murders.

“Religious leaders are involved in Prof Kalburgi’s killing. We are much worried about the delay in arresting the culprits,” Prof Chandrashekhar Patil, writer and Kalburgi’s close friend said.

Writer and former minister B T Lalitha Naik said, “Highly influential religious leaders seems to have plotted the assassination. The government is delaying the probe due to pressure. A CBI probe can alone take the case to logical end.”

Comments

khasai Khane
 - 
Wednesday, 30 Aug 2017

You have to wait 15 Years if the victim was a sanghi (like in case of Rapsit Baba) .. and if you are muslim/pro-muslim wait till eternity..! Congress or BJP or anybody else...!

Justice delayed is justice denied...

Abdullah
 - 
Wednesday, 30 Aug 2017

Shame on our Government and Police department.

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coastaldigest.com web desk
June 18,2020

Vijayapura, June 18: Shoukat Ali Sumbad, a local farmer, has donated land for the construction of Chennamma memorial, modelled on the Kittur fort, at Sindagi town in Vijayapura to celebrate the town's connect with the valorous Lingayat queen who fought the British in 1824.

Basava Jaya Mrutyunjaya Swamiji of Lingayat Panchamasali Peetha Kudala Sangam said Shoukat Ali came forward to donate his land adjacent to the state highway when local authorities failed to provide land for the memorial. 

"The committee led by Basava Jaya Mrutyunjaya Swamiji sought a 15x10 plot but when I went through their plan of constructing a model of Kittur fort, I decided to donate 425 sq ft," said the 61-year-old farmer. 

"Rani Chennamma is the pride of every Indian, irrespective of caste and creed, and my contribution is nothing compared to her sacrifice for the nation," he added.

Shoukat Ali, who lives in the neighbouring town of Almel, said he is a man of modest means but proud to make the contribution. "I own nine acres of land in Almel. I have six sons and two daughters. Two of my sons run small businesses in Mumbai. Ten of us live in a small house in Almel," he said.

“I also work as a broker to sell or buy sites. I had bought 15 guntas of land in Sindagi for my children some 15 years ago. When our MLA MC Managuli and Swamiji sought land for the memorial, my entire family agreed wholeheartedly” Shoukat Ali said.

“As Chennamma’s history is linked to Sindagi, there has been a demand for a memorial here since 2008, but the town municipal council failed to provide land due to political and technical reasons,” said Swamiji. 

“There were plans to observe a Sindagi bandh in the first week of June to protest the indifference of authorities. But then Sumbad gave us his land. We have formed a committee to construct a model of Kittur fort and a bronze statue of Chennamma at a cost of Rs 28 lakh,” he added.

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News Network
June 18,2020

Bengaluru, Jun 18: Karnataka Public Service Commission (KPSC) was reprimanded for withholding information, sought by a candidate regarding an examination held in 2005 for Gazeted Probationary posts, by the State Information Commissioner here on Thursday.

According to official sources, the State Information Commissioner NP Ramesh, while disposing off a petition by the candidate, who had written an examination conducted by the KPSC for the gazeted probationary posts held in 2005, had directed to provide the information sought by the candidate, free of costs within ten days.

The State Information Commissioner in his order had termed the conduct of the KPSC as against the spirit of transparency among the public authorities.

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News Network
April 13,2020

Bengaluru, Apr 13: Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) President and former Minister D K Shivakumar has demanded resignation of Minister In-Charge of COVID-19 for his alleged irresponsible comment, despite holding a responsible post.

Mr Shivakumar's comments came after Dr Sudhakar on Sunday shared a picture of him and his children in a swimming pool, on Twitter with a caption, ''After a long time joined my children for swimming hope maintaining social distance here as well…hahaha.''

However, Dr Sudhakar deleted the tweet from his account, soon after he was criticised for sharing such a picture, when the country is facing a health crisis.

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