Stany Bela

Daijiworld Media Network - Mangaluru 

Mangaluru, Mar 21: It is two years today, since fifty-one-year-old RTI activist Vinayak Baliga was hacked to death near his house in Kodialbail.

On the fateful day of March 21, 2016, Baliga was on his morning walk when he was killed. The Mangaluru city police arrested six in the case, and city-based entrepreneur Naresh Shenoy was named as the main accused. They submitted a 770-page charge sheet at the third JMFC court on 23 June, 2016 and on 17 December, 2016 investigation officer Uday Naik filed supplementary charge sheet.

Motive behind murder

In supplementary charge sheet, the police cited that Vinayak Baliga had written a letter to the trustees of Sudha Seva Pratishthana. He had accused Naresh Shenoy and his family members of theft in the Vittoba Temple. He had also blamed Naresh Shenoy of helping Nandakumar, an accused in a murder at the Venkataramana Temple in 2013, get bail and prompt Manjunath Shenoy (accused no 7 in the Vinayak Baliga murder case) to turn hostile.

Vinayak Baliga

The supplementary charge-sheet notes that Vinayak Baliga had obtained information under the Right to Information Act, regarding financial misappropriations in the Venkataramana Temple and had filed two original suits.

He had also filed an original suit against trustees of Venkataramana Temple, questioning the sale of land of the temple. Naresh Shenoy influenced the affairs of the Venkataramana Temple, the charge-sheet said.

All these reasons, the investigation officer says, prompted Naresh Shenoy to conspire with his employee, Srikant (accused no 2) and Shaliesh (accused no 6), to murder Vinayak Baliga. Naresh Shenoy reportedly gave his vehicle and money to Shivaprasad, Vineet Poojary and Nishit Devadiga, who murdered Baliga.

Accused no 7 Manjunath Shenoy alias Manju Neereshwalya has been accused of helping Naresh Shenoy to stay away from the police from the day of the incident till his arrest on 26 June, 2016.

Naresh Shenoy

Being an entrepreneur, Naresh Shenoy is a known face in the socio cultural circles of the city. He is the founder of Mangaluru unit of Namo Brigdae, later renamed as Yuva Brigade. In GSB community, he maintains a strong hold because of his financial and political influence. It is believed that the statements against him about temple theft and other temple related issues by Vinayak Baliga humiliated him. It is said that the suits filed by Vinayak Baliga, dented his public image.

Naresh Shenoy

So immediately after the murder of Vinayak Baliga, the police suspected Naresh Shenoy’s role and he also remained elusive for three months and surrendered before the police after the High Court dismissed his application for anticipatory bail in the case. While absconding, Shenoy was hiding in Jammu and Kashmir, Gorakhpur, Lucknow and places bordering Nepal. Finally on 26 June 2016, police arrested Naresh from Udupi and he remained in jail up to 15 September 2017, the day he was awarded bail from High Court.

The role of society

According to FIRA President Narendra Nayak, Baliga was respected as he always raised voice against the injustice and irregularities in the affairs of local government bodies and religious circles, especially in his own community.

Baliga was an electrical contractor by profession, and with RTI had unearthed controversial information related to electricity theft and unauthorized constructions in Mangaluru city.

Nayak says that though initially there was uproar in the city, after his murder, people became mum when powerful names were associated with is assasination. Today, the fight for justice is limited to only few.

Nayak says that Congress used Vinayk Baliga incident to defend BJP’s anti-Hindu allegations but were nowhere in picture when it came to giving justice to Vinayak or supporting his family.

Nayak blames a temple ‘mafia’ which has a strong political backing, and has spread fear in the GSB community. Many prefer to remain mum than voice out against them, he adds.

Vinayak Baliga’s sisters continue his battle

The fight for justice has come down to Anuradha Baliga and Harsha Baliga, sisters of Vinayak Baliga, who are toiling relentlessly to bring justice to their brother. They have already submitted a memorandum to Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Home Minister Ramalinga Reddy through the Dakshina Kannada Deputy Commissioner seeking constitution of a Special Investigation Team to probe Vinayak Baliga’s murder and expose the full plot behind the murder.

Vinayak Baliga’s sisters 

Same time, they decided to continue their brothers fight against the injustice and temple mafia. Vinayak Baliga had questioned the misuse of funds, lack of accountability, inflation of bills and other issues which happened in Venkatarama Temple. He had got hold of an audit statement and he had raised questions, which caused discomfort to the chartered accountant who had signed the previous balance sheet. Now, Anuradha Baliga, has 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.

Nayak highlights that 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 has been violating the conditions of the bail, which has been brought to the attention of the court by Anuradha Baliga. She has been filing applications in various courts and continuing her battle for the constitution of a special investigation team, so that the hidden facts in the case are revealed.