Daijiworld Media Network – Mangaluru (MS)
Mangaluru, Jan 5: RTI activist and active member of BJP, Vinayak Baliga, who was brutally hacked to death on March 21, 2016, has come up for trial in the court after six long years.
Special prosecutor nominated by the government and renowned lawyer S Balakrishnan is arguing the case for the prosecution. The case is being inquired at sixth district and sessions court.
The inquiry of first phase of witnesses was held from January 3 to 5.
Vinayak Baliga
During the inquiry, first accused Naresh Shenoy, second accused Srikanth, third accused Shivaprasad alias Shiva alias Shivaprasanna, fourth accused Vineet Poojary, fifth accused Nishith Devadiga, sixth accused Shailesh alias Shailu and seventh accused Manjunath Shenoy alias Manju were produced in the court.
On the first day of inquiry of the murder case witnesses Bhami Sudhakar Shenoy, Rayi Ganapati Baliga, Chethan Kamath, Chandrakantha Kamath and Vishwanath Kamath deposed before the court.
On the second day witnesses Kartik Pai, Mohammed Harshad, Dinesh Baliga, Radha, Sulakshna, Sujir Balakrishna Shenoy, Rajesh Shetty, Padmanabaha Moolya and Deekshith Shetty deposed before the judge.
Among the accused Vignesh Nayak was found hanging at his home in November 2020. A suicide case was registered.
Many like-minded patriotic organizations held several protest urging fast track inquiry of Vinayak Baliga murder case. The government, coming under public pressure, appointed senior high court lawyer S Balakrishnan on November 2. Now the hearing of case has begun six years after the murder took place.