Cops must reveal who gave supari to kill Mangaluru RTI activist'

Mangaluru, Mar 30: Expressing grave concern over the murder of RTI activist Vinayak Baliga, several city based intellectuals, activists, rationalists and Dalits have demanded a high level probe into the case.

51-year-old Baliga, who had successfully sought out more than 90 RTIs, was hacked to death near his residence in the city on March 21 by two assailants. He had more than 17 stab injuries on his body.Even though two supari killers have been arrested by the police, the plotters have not been yet nabbed.

On Wednesday Democratic Youth Federation of India (DYFI), Dalit Sangharsh Samiti (DSS), Federation of Indian Rationalists Association (FIRA), Students Federation of India (SFI) and other organisations held a joint press meet in the city to exert pressure on the police to arrest the real culprits behind the well-planned murder.

FIRA President Prof Narendra Nayak said Baliga had exposed many illegal activities of builders, real estate tycoons, heads of educational institutions, religious institutions, banking lobbies and others.

He said the police, who have arrested two persons in connection with the murder, have only said that the accused were given supari for murdering Baliga, but have not revealed as to who had given the supari. The supari givers have not been arrested, as well. It is believed that these people are highly influential'. Hence, it is difficult for the PSI-level officials to arrest them. Therefore, the chief minister has to constitute a high-level committee comprising IPS officers to investigate the case, he demanded.

He also sought financial government for Baliga's family from the government. If the demands are not fulfilled, like-minded organisations will take to streets and protest, he warned.

Ganesh Baliga, with whom Vinayak Baliga had filed a case in the court regarding the reported misappropriation of funds at Sri Venkataramana Temple, Mangaluru, said the case was not meant to malign someone personally, but to stop illegalities to protect the assets of the temple. Objections were raised through the complaint filed in the court on the audit of the temple that was carried out during the tenure of the previous management trust and particularly on the misappropriation of funds during the renovation of the temple, Nayak said.

He said the case was filed in the High Court and was eventually redirected to the district court. When the case came before the Lok Adalat, during the mediation, it was found that there is no documentation of gold and silver ornaments in the temple. According to Vinayak Baliga, there was a misappropriation of at least Rs 7 crore to 8 crore. Baliga had demanded for the re-auditing for the period 2008-15. He had said in the open court that there were threats to his life.

The court has ordered re-auditing and has appointed Nithin J Shetty as the auditor. The next hearing on the case is on April 2.

Nayak condemned the silence of GSB?community over the murder of Baliga. He challenged the editor of an evening newspaper, who had charged that Baliga was a blackmailer, to reveal the basis on which the blackmailing was done and also to show the evidences.