Honnavar, Oct 4: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has filed a closure report in the sensational Paresh Mesta death case to a court in Honnavar, a coastal town in Karnataka’s Uttara Kannada district. The federal investigation agency has filed a 1,500 page closure report after investigating the case for more than 4 years.
The CBI in its report said that the 19-year-old Mesta's death was not a murder.
"During the investigation, no incriminating evidence has emerged showing the involvement of accused persons and the medico-legal evidence/opinion collected from multiple institutions clearly established the cause of death of Paresh Mesta as anti-mortem drowning," the CBI report read.
The court will be hearing the matter on November 16.
Case of drowning portrayed as murder
Fisherman Mesta disappeared on December 6, 2017, following an incident of mob violence in Honnavar of Uttara Kannada district. After two days, his body was found near a lake.
Hardline Hindutva groups, backed by BJP, which was then Opposition party in Karnataka, alleged that the Mesta was murdered by Muslims and his body was dumped later near the lake.
They also had claimed that Mesta was tortured by Muslims before being dumped, but the police had refuted the claims and had released the forensic report.
But it did not satisfy the right-wing groups and led to large-scale communal violence in Honnavar, Kumta and Sirsi. The BJP had demanded an inquiry by the National Investigation Agency.
The then Congress government led by Siddaramaiah was accused by the BJP of trying to cover up the case. After pressure from the Opposition, Siddaramaiah handed over the case to CBI on December 13, 2017.
After CBI submitted the report, former chief minister Siddaramaiah sought an apology from the BJP.
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