7 months ago
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Mahesh Shetty Thimarodi | Photo Credit: record photo
The High Court of Karnataka connected Wednesday allowed continuation of probe by vacating its earlier interim bid of staying the probe based connected the archetypal accusation study (FIR), registered successful July, connected a ailment of alleged wide burial of bodies of sexually assaulted women successful Dharmasthala based connected a “voluntary” connection fixed by a idiosyncratic by sanction Chinnaiah.
The enactment was granted earlier connected a petition filed by 4 activists — Girish Mattennavar, Mahesh Shetty Thimarody, T. Jayant, and Vittala Gowda — who were astatine the forefront of a run for registration of transgression lawsuit connected the allegation of burials, and for constitution of a Special Investigation Team (SIT).
However, the petitioner-activists had knocked the doors of the High Court against the FIR aft the SIT precocious issued notices to them nether Section 35 (3) of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, suspecting them to person indulged successful cognisable offence successful projecting a mendacious lawsuit of wide burial done Chinnaiah, alternatively of treating them arsenic witnesses arsenic done earlier.
Justice Mohammad Nawaz, earlier whom the petition came up for further hearing, vacated the October 30 interim bid of staying the probe aft considering the connection of objections filed by the SIT opposing the petition and seeking lifting of enactment against investigation. However, the tribunal directed the SIT not to harass the petitioners successful the guise of the probe.
‘Fear of truth’
“Petitioners and their associates are fearful of the information being revealed and are attempting to scuttle the probe and derail the full process by filing 1 oregon the different writ petition,” it was contended by SIT’s Special Public Prosecutor B.N. Jagadeesha successful the written connection of objections.
It was further stated that continuation of probe was indispensable successful this superior matter, for which important expenses had already been borne by the State, into “the mendacious and mala fide allegations of the complainant [Chinnaiah], connected the instructions of the petitioners and different associates.”
Pointing retired that Chinnaiah (now an accused successful the case) had aboriginal disclosed astir the falsification of his ailment and stated that his ailment and statements were arsenic per the instructions and progressive connivance of the petitioners, the SIT besides told the tribunal that Chinnaiah was staying successful the location of 1 of the petitioners and each the petitioners were controlling him, including “what to accidental and what not to accidental earlier the police/SIT.”
Names of the petitioners were recovered successful the caller confession connection of Chinnaiah, the SIT said portion pointing that claims of Chinnaiah were recovered to beryllium bogus done the investigation.
‘Credible allegations’
The question of arresting the petitioners would not originate if they cooperated with the probe, the SIT said, portion contending that that “there are superior and credible allegations against the petitioners and their associates that are independently corroborated done elaborate tract investigations carried retired by the SIT based connected circumstantial, grounds of credible witnesses, and integer forensic evidence.”
Notices issued to the petitioners asking them look for questioning were backed by “immaculate investigation, and by incontrovertible grounds from aggregate sources”, the SIT stated.
