Pics: Abhijith N Kolpe
Daijiworld Media Network – Mangaluru (ANK)
Mangaluru, Mar 21: Deshapremi Sangathanegala Okkuta on Sunday March 21 led a procession from Sri Venkataramana Temple, Car Street to the residence of the late Vinayak Baliga’s residence at Kala Kunj, Kodialbail to mark the 5th death anniversary of the RTI activist.
Vinayak Baliga was brutally murdered near his residence at Kala Kunj early morning on March 21, 2016. The case is yet to be solved and the culprits behind the murder are yet to be punished.
The procession began with a prayer by his sisters to deity Lord Sri Venkatramana to give justice to their brother.
Activist and president of Federation of Indian Rationalists' Associations Prof Narendra Nayak said, "It has been five years since the murder of RTI activist Vinayak Baliga and the case has not came to a logical end yet. The investigation not been properly done to know the conspirator behind the murder. Investigation officer Tilak Chandra, who is now retired, never showed interest in this case. When Vinayak Baliga's sister Anuradha Baliga demanded repeatedly for SIT probe, she started receiving threat calls. We still demand SIT probe into the case. When Vinayak Baliga was murdered, Congress government was ruling, then JD(S) came and now BJP is in power, but none of these showed interest in this case.
"The shameful government has ordered SIT probe into the sleaze CD row, but why is it reluctant to do the same in Baliga murder case?" questioned Narendra Nayak.
Expressing disappointment with the community's and local politicians' silence over the case, he said, "Not a single youth of the GSB community raised voice when their community member Baliga was murdered. None of the political parties has shown interest in giving justice to Baliga family. MP Nalin Kumar Kateel has not spoken a single word in the last five years on this issue.
Activist Gerald Towers, Santhosh Kumar Bajal, Anuradha Baliga and others were present.
The march was followed by a meeting at the home of Vinayak Baliga, which was attended by a number of activists and office-bearers of political parties. Narendra Nayak, Dr P V Bhandary, a psychiatrist and director of A V Baliga hospital, were also present. The state convenor of DSS Devadas, Karnataka state president of DYFI, Muneer Katipalla were some of the prominent speakers.