'Police didn't set up checkposts, let Kalburgi's killers escape'

Dharwad, Sep 10: Is “laxity” by the Hubballi-Dharwad police in the immediate aftermath of Kannada writer M M Kalburgi’s murder making it difficult for the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) to crack the sensational killing?

The police did not set up checkposts on roads going to Belagavi, Goa and Hubballi, and such loopholes in security may have helped the assailants escape, said a senior police officer.

A team of Maharashtra police visited Dharwad soon after the murder but the CID didn’t interact with it. Many believe the killing of the three rationalists — Narendra Dabholkar, Govind Pansare and Kalburgi — shows a similar pattern. Bullet shells recovered from the crime scene should have been matched with those used in previous killings. But the CID is yet to reach out to the Maharashtra police.

Major miss?

The CID is disappointed that CCTV cameras installed in and around Kalyan Nagar near Kalburgi’s residence were defunct and didn’t record anything about the killers’ movement.

Following the rise in chain-snatchings, the Vidyagiri police had installed CCTV cameras at some of the sensitive areas in?their jurisdiction. But, due to poor maintenance, six of the CCTVs installed at prominent locations have gone defunct.

The government, which had come under pressure from various quarters to crack the case, was quick to entrust it to the CID. But neither the CID nor the government has taken this incident seriously, according to intellectuals and thinkers.

Nine days after Kalburgi was shot dead by at his residence ‘Soujanya’ at Kalyan Nagar 9th Cross, CID?SP?D?C?Rajappa, who is the investigation officer, is yet to make much headway into the case.

CID IGP visits crime scene

CID ?IGP Sharath Chandra visited the crime scene on Monday evening and talked to Kalburgi’s family. On Tuesday too, he visited the slain professor’s residence to inspect the place and monitor the investigation being carried out by the CID. CID officials have questioned residents of ‘Vishwas’ apartment located in front of Kalburgi’s house for possible leads in the case, according to sources in the department.