SIT hunting for 2 conspirators in Kalburgi killing
Bengaluru, May 3: The Special Investigation Team probing the killing of rationalist M M Kalburgi is hunting for at least two persons directly involved in the crime, sources in the SIT said Friday.
Kalburgi was shot dead on August 30, 2015 by two motorcycle borne assailants, who entered his house in Dharwad posing as students.
The criminal investigation department was investigating the case.
However, the Supreme Court hearing a petition by Kalburgi's widow Umadevi ordered in February this year that the SIT, which cracked journalist-activist Gauri Lankesh murder case, should investigate this as well as there were similarities between the two killings.
Investigating officer in the SIT, M N Anucheth, refused to divulge any detail except for saying they have started investigation.
While probing the Lankesh murder case, the SIT arrested 16 people belonging to an organised gang of right wing people but two are still at large.
SIT suspects that a few members of the same ring were also involved in Kalburgi's murder.
Two bike-borne assassins shot dead Lankesh, a Left leaning journalist known for her strident anti-Hindutva views, on September 5 2017 evening outside her house in Bengaluru.
According to the SIT, Parashuram Waghmare was the hitman while Ganesh Miskin rode the bike.
Two other rationalists Narendra Dabholkar and Govind Pansare were also killed in a similar way in Maharashtra and investigating agencies suspect that all the cases were interconnected.
SIT officials suspect the involvement of Miskin in Kalburgi's murder.
Waghmare and Miskin are among the arrested.
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Sound effect: Farmers play music on solar-powered speakers to keep tigers at bay in Pilibhit
Pilibhit (UP) (PTI): Farmers living in villages adjoining the Mala range of Pilibhit Tiger Reserve have devised an unusual method to keep tigers away from their fields during sugarcane harvesting – playing loud music on solar-powered sound systems.
According to the farmers, the continuous noise helps deter wild animals from entering their fields.
As sugarcane fields are dense and the visibility is low, the risk of sudden encounters with tigers remains high during the harvesting season.
Forest officials described the initiative as a “desi jugaad” that not only enhances safety but also adds an element of entertainment, with loud music echoing across the fields during work hours.
The method has emerged as a unique way to check human-animal conflict.
Ramnagaria, Ajitpur, Jamunia, Mahua, Mala Ghera, Richhola and Basantapur are among the villages located close to the Mala range that frequently witness tiger movement, keeping the residents on edge. Recently, fresh tiger pugmarks were found in a field in Mahua.
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According to forest officials, Krishna Kumar and his associates in Jamunia village pioneered the “musical” method to deal with the threat.
“Working in the dense sugarcane fields is risky business. We believe wild animals move away due to noise, so playing songs loudly helps keep them at a distance,” Kumar said.
The method is proving effective, enabling farmers to carry out agricultural activities in groups without fear, the villagers said.
Several farmers, including Gaurishankar, Tinku, Ram Bahadur, Rakesh Kumar, Prabhu Dayal and Lalaram, have joined Kumar in implementing this innovative approach.
Deputy Ranger Sher Singh said the forest department is also making continuous efforts to spread awareness among the villagers.
“The department is organising meetings to educate farmers about safe and scientific methods to protect themselves from wildlife,” he told reporters.
