Daijiworld Media Network - Mangaluru
Mangaluru, Mar 9: The Desha Premi Sanghatanegala Okkuta, which has been fighting for justice in the murder case of RTI activist Vinayak Baliga, has announced a march from the car street Venkatrmana temple to Baliga's home followed by a public meeting on March 21.
Vinayak Baliga was hacked to death on morning of March 21, 2016. The police after extensive search had managed to arrest main accused Naresh Shenoy, who is currently out on bail.
In a press note, renowned rationalist Prof Narendra Nayak, who has been persistently following the case, said, "Those who cruelly butchered RTI activist Vinayak Baliga would have done it with the intention of putting an end to the battles he had started. He was the only son with aged parents and sisters, one elder and three younger. The youngest two Anuradha and Harsha are not married as yet. With aged parents and women only in the family his adversaries would have thought that there would be no one to carry on with the issues he had taken up. It was probably thought that the criminal case would be also made weak and the real forces who masterminded his murder would go scot free with the criminals who murdered him behind bars released due to lack of evidence when the trial was over. The circumstances too point towards such a sketch. But, due to the diligent efforts of his sisters the plans are not so easy to carry out.
"It was thought that some of the things that Baliga wanted like a scheme for the management of the temple of his favourite deity, the Sri Venkataramana Temple and the re-audit of the accounts as he suspected a lot of misuse of funds, would not happen as there would be no one to pursue the cases as all would be scared of the death of the dissenter. In fact, they had succeeded to some extent. The sessions court of Mangaluru had ordered for the re-audit of the accounts and an auditor had agreed for it. But when Baliga was murdered he withdrew from it citing security threats to his staff. So, though two years have elapsed after the murder of the dissenter the questions raised by him have not been answered," he said.
"He had questioned the misuse of funds, lack of accountability, inflation of bills and many such issues. Though an audited statement was handed over to him he had questioned that itself, which caused the discomfiture to the chartered accountant who had signed the previous balance sheet. Now, Anuradha Baliga, the sister of Vinayak Baliga filed a complaint with the muzrai department which has now ordered an enquiry into the alleged misdeeds of the temple management. The order to that effect has been passed by the deputy commissioner of Dakshina Kannada.
"The other case that was pursued was the complaint he had filed with the Mangaluru city corporation against the illegal construction by South Kanara Dravida Brahmins Association which had put buildings for a school, flouting all rules. The complaint had been posted for hearing a few days after Baliga was murdered and the case was taken up by his youngest sister Harsha who diligently attended hearings and put forward arguments supporting her deceased brother's complaint. The demolition order for the excess constructed area has been passed recently.
Baliga's two sisters have also handed over a memorandum to the deputy commissioner of DK addressed to the chief minister and the home minister
"The investigations into the murder case of Baliga had come to a halt after the arrest of the first accused Naresh Shenoy who managed to get bail after some months. He had been violating the conditions of the bail with impunity which has been brought to the attention of the court by Anuradha Baliga who has impleaded herself into the case. She has been filing applications in various courts and continuing her battle for the constitution of a special investigation team to go into the full plot behind the murder of her brother," Nayak said.