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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Manmohan Singh, LK Advani cast votes from home
New Delhi (PTI): Former vice president Mohammad Hamid Ansari, former prime minister Dr Manmohan Singh, former deputy prime minister LK Advani and former Union minister Dr Murli Manohar Joshi have cast their votes using the home voting facility, the Delhi poll body said.
The office of the chief electoral officer (CEO) of Delhi on Thursday kicked off the home voting facility for elderly voters and persons with disabilities (PwDs) and it will go on till May 24.
According to the data shared by the office, 1409 voters cast their ballots from the comfort of their homes across all seven parliamentary constituencies in Delhi on Friday, which was the second day of the facility being started.
The West Delhi constituency reported the highest number of home votes, with 348 voters participating. Among them, 299 were elderly individuals.
With the completion of the second day, a total of 2,956 voters have exercised their right to vote from home, the CEO office said.
"Former prime minister Dr Manmohan Singh and former Union minister Dr Murli Manohar Joshi successfully cast their votes on May 17 from their home availing home voting facility in the New Delhi parliamentary constituency," the office said.
Former vice president Mohammad Hamid Ansari cast his vote on Thursday, it added.
Former deputy prime minister LK Advani cast his vote on Saturday, sources said.
On the first day, 1,482 voters exercised their franchise from home.
A total of 5,406 voters across Delhi -- elderly individuals and PwDs -- have filled out Form 12D to avail of the home voting facility in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.
This initiative ensures these voters can participate in the electoral process with ease and dignity, eliminating the need to visit polling stations. Delhi will go to polls on May 25.
