Kalburgi Murder Probe: Killers were given final training in a farm near Mangaluru
In the latest revelation in the probe of murder case of Kannada Scholar M M Kalburgi, an Indian Express report added that the suspected killers were given training in an alleged final training camp held on a rubber estate of a businessman from Mangaluru region.
M M Kalburgi, noted Kannada scholar was shot dead at his residence on August 30, 2015 aged 77.
The Indian Express report claims that the revelation was made during the probe by Special Investigation Team (SIT) in to the matter. According to the report a key suspect of the murder Praveen Prakash Chatur, who was arrested by the SIT in May this year, led the police team to a rubber plantation plot at Dharmasthala in Dakshina Kannada District last month and identified it as the place where he was allegedly trained days before the murder. Prakash has been identified as the rider of the bike in which the shooter Ganesh Miskin reached Kalburgi’s house.
The report quotes police sources to note that the rubber plantation estate to be belonging to Mangaluru businessman Ananth Kamath, who is known to be associated with the radical Sanatan Sanstha and its affiliate Hindu Janajagruti Samiti (HJS).
Interestingly, Kamath’s name had also popped up in the case of murder of senior journalist Gauri Lankesh when an arrested suspect had indicated that Kamath allegedly provided vehicles to the killers to recce Gauri’s residence. Kamath was then questioned and released after the SIT did not find any incriminating evidence against him in the case.
When contacted by The Indian Express, Kamath said: “I have no information about the estate being used for such things. If I knew I would not allow it. I have not received information about any investigations on the property. The estate has been given on lease to a group from Kerala.” The rubber estate is located about one hour away from Dharamsthala, he said.
Several persons arrested in the Gauri Lankesh case have in statements, which are a part of the chargesheet, described attending a camp at a rubber plantation near Pilathbetta in the Dharamsthala region in August 2015.
“In 2015, in the month of August, a training camp was organized at a rubber plantation at Pilathbetta near Mangalore. Four of us from Belagavi went to Dharamsthala. Amol Kale, Mithun (alias Ganesh Miskin, the alleged shooter in the Kalburgi case), Govinda, Mechanic, Sharad Kalaskar, two Bengali speaking men were present at the camp. We travelled for an hour in a vehicle from Dharamsthala to get to the farm. There were two big godowns and a rubber plantation at the estate,’’ claims a witness in the Gauri Lankesh case in a statement that is part of the chargesheet.
One of the trainers is suspected to be a missing individual from the Ajmer, Mecca Masjid and Malegaon blast cases from the 2006-08 period.
After arresting Chatur in the Kalburgi case, the SIT took him to the site of the camp in the hope of finding bullets or cartridges but failed to find any such material, the report quotes sources
However, the site where the Sanstha members allegedly trained was found to belong to Kamath, and police would be assessing his suspected role in the training, sources said.
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14 arrested in JNU protest case
New Delhi (PTI): Fourteen protesters were arrested in connection with a demonstration at Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) here on Thursday evening, police said.
Those held JNU Students' Union (JNUSU) president Aditi Mishra, vice president Gopika Babu, former president Nitish Kumar, and joint secretary Danish Ali, among others, they said.
Police said an FIR has been registered under sections 132/3(5) (assault or criminal force), 221 (obstructing public servant) and 121(1) (voluntarily causing hurt) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) at the Vasant Kunj North Police Station.
ALSO READ: Police, students injured in clash during JNUSU protest march, over 50 detained
The arrests followed an attempted march by JNUSU members, who had gathered at Sabarmati T-Point on the campus and sought to move towards the education ministry as part of ongoing protests over JNU Vice Chancellor Santishree Dhulipudi Pandit's recent remarks on a podcast over the implementation of UGC norms, rustication of JNUSU office bearers, and the proposed Rohith Act.
Police personnel, however, stopped the protesters at the heavily barricaded university gates, leading to a scuffle.
A total of 51 protesters, including Mishra and Kumar, were detained on Thursday evening, with Delhi Police claiming that the students resorted to physical assault, injuring several of its personnel, during the confrontation.
In a statement, the students' union called for a complete university strike and reiterated allegations of police excess during the march.
It claimed that 13 students, including three office-bearers, were detained and several students were "brutally attacked and injured", while a portrait of B. R. Ambedkar was damaged during the police action.
Among its demands, the JNUSU has sought the immediate and unconditional release of all, resignation of the vice-chancellor, action against police personnel over the alleged desecration of Ambedkar's portrait, and withdrawal of proctorial actions and FIRs against student activists.
The Jawaharlal Nehru University Teachers Association (JNUTA) had earlier condemned the police action.
