Supplementary charge-sheet filed in Vinayak Baliga murder case

Mangalore Today News Network

Mangaluru, Dec 26, 2016: The slain RTI activist Vinayak Baliga had written a letter to the trustees of Sudha Seva Pratishthana, with which the main accused in the murder case, Naresh Shenoy is associated, accusing Naresh Shenoy and his family members of involvement in a case of theft in the Vittoba Temple. He had also accused of Naresh Shenoy of helping an accused get an acquittal in a murder case.

Referring to this letter in the supplementary charge-sheet, the police have cited it as among the reasons for Naresh Shenoy to hire people to murder Vinayak Baliga near his house in Kodialbail on March 21, 2015. The supplementary charge-sheet was filed by the investigation officer Uday Naik on December 17 before the Third Judicial Magistrate First Class Court.

In the letter written to Anil Kudwa and Ganapati Pai, convenor and member, respectively of the prathistana, Vinayak Baliga accuses Naresh Shenoy, his father and other persons of falsely creating documents in the name of trustees of Vittoba Rakumai temple to remove temple ornaments from the bank that was subsequently stolen in 2013.

In the same letter he had also accused Naresh Shenoy of helping Nandakumar, an accused in a murder at the Venkataramana Temple in 2013, get bail and prompt Manjunath Shenoy (accused no 7 in the Vinayak Baliga murder case) to turn hostile in that case.

The supplementary charge-sheet said that Vinayak Baliga had obtained information under the Right to Information Act regarding financial appropriation in the Venkataramana Temple and had filed two original suits.

He had also filed an original suit against trustees of Venkatramana Temple questioning the sale of land of the temple. Naresh Shenoy influenced the affairs of the Venkataramana Temple, the charge-sheet said.

All these reasons, the investigation officer says, prompted Naresh Shenoy to conspire with his employee, Srikant (accused no 2) and Shaliesh (accused no 6), to murder Vinayak Baliga. Naresh Shenoy reportedly gave his vehicle and money to Shivaprasad, Vineet Poojary and Nishit Devadiga, who murdered Vinayak Baliga.

Accused no 7 Manjunath Shenoy alias Manju Neereshwalya has been accused of helping Naresh Shenoy to stay away from the police from the day of the incident till his arrest on June 26.

Mr. Naik has sought time to submit some additional evidence, including reports of the Forensic Science Laboratory and the Call Data Record analysis, in the case.

Courtesy: The hindu