Mangaluru, Aug 18 The family members of Narayana and his sister Yamuna, residents of the Boorje area in Dharmasthala, who were killed in 2012, have filed a complaint with the Special Investigation Team (SIT) on Monday, demanding a reinvestigation of the case.
The children of the victim Narayana, Ganesh and Bharathi, have come forward to complain. Yamuna was the sister of Narayana.
The complaint stated that the deceased Narayana lived with his sister Yamuna at his house in Boorje, Dharmasthala. "The brother of the Dharmadhikari had been threatening them to vacate the house for five years and had issued life threats during this period, before their murder," the complaint alleged.
"Our father was assaulted twice on the premises of the accused. On September 20, 2012, the accused brother came to our father’s house and ordered him to vacate immediately, warning that if he failed to do so, there would be consequences," the complainants stated.
On the night of September 21, 2012, the victims returned home at about 10 pm after watching a drama at the KSRTC bus stop on the occasion of Ganesha festival celebrations. The next day, locals noticed that the house had not been opened until 12 noon. When they entered, they found the siblings lying dead. "Our father’s head had been smashed with a large stone and our aunt Yamuna’s head had been crushed with a grinding stone," the complainants said.
"Our father did not have any jewellery, cash, or valuables. The murderers did not take away the small amount of cash or a few pieces of jewellery present. Our father had no enemies. They were killed to take away the inherited property of the house and land," they alleged.
"When this issue was conveyed to the Dharmadhikari, he maintained that ‘what has happened has happened’ and asked us to forget the incident. The brother of the Dharmadhikari locked the door of our house and did not allow us to take our belongings. He also threatened us not to enter the house," the complaint further alleged.
"We have not received justice even after filing a complaint with the Superintendent of Police of Mangaluru district. The SIT should investigate the case and deliver justice by arresting the culprits," the children demanded.
The SIT, after receiving the complaint, stated that it is being verified.
Ganesh and Bharathi, speaking to the media, said their father had worked as a mahout in Dharmasthala and was leading a retired life. They added that at the time of the murders, they were staying and studying at their maternal grandparents’ home along with their mother.
Karnataka BJP on Monday charged that the Congress-led government in the state intends to defame Dharmasthala. The Legislative Assembly was adjourned after the statement triggered heated arguments between BJP and Congress leaders.
Following Home Minister G. Parameshwara’s reply on the mass grave case, BJP State General Secretary and MLA V. Sunil Kumar alleged that forces are attempting to malign Dharmasthala’s reputation and that the Congress-led government shares the same intention.
In a major development, Karnataka Home Minister G. Parameshwara has stated that until the chemical and DNA analysis reports are available, the investigation into the mass grave case will remain on hold. The Special Investigation Team (SIT) has taken this decision, he added.
He made the statement on the floor of the Legislative Assembly while replying to BJP members on the matter. Responding to a question on how long the SIT investigation would continue, Parameshwara said, "So far, only exhumation work has been undertaken. The collected samples have been sent for DNA and soil analysis. Once the reports come, the investigation will proceed on that basis."
--IANS
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