Prime suspect in murder cases of four BJP members in Karnataka nabbed

News Network

April 26, 2019

Mysuru/Bengaluru, Apr 26: The Bengaluru Central Crime Branch (CCB) claimed they have arrested the prime accused in the murders and attacks on BJP members in Mysuru in 2009. Ateeq Shareefalias Timber Shareef, 39, was picked up on Thursday. Police said he was on the run for years.

Shareef was wanted for the murders of Shashikumar in 2008, Ramesh Pai and Sathish in 2009 and Raju in 2016, besides being an accused in the attempted murder of Giridhar, who survived the 2009 attack. The police had identified all four victims as members of the BJP.

Police believe Shareef’s arrest will help them zero in on other conspirators and get to the root of the crimes. Shareef, who was arrested by the CCB police, has been remanded to judicial custody.

The murder of Pai on Ashoka Road in Mysuru had remained a mystery for years, while his brother Anand Pai had escaped. Ramesh was grievously assaulted and died on the spot. His murder led to communal tension in parts of Mysuru. Thereafter, the attack on Giridhar in front of his house behind Mysuru Central Prison aggravated the situation.

Two armed bike-borne men had stopped at Giridhar’s house and attacked him. He was shifted to a hospital and initially it was believed that he would not survive, but he recovered. He was in hospital for three months and underwent multiple surgeries.

A host of BJP leaders had staged protests condemning the attack on their workers. Police say the latest murder was that of Raju, who was hacked near a tea shop in Udayagiri in 2016. He was killed with one stroke with a butcher’s knife. This again led to tension in Mysuru. BJP national president Amit Shah visited Raju’s house, further sensationalising the murder.

Police said Shareef was involved in the attacks from 2008 to 2016. He was absconding since August 8, 2016 and took shelter at different places in Karnataka and Maharashtra. A senior police officer confirmed his arrest, but didn’t divulge details of how he was nabbed.

Comments

Add new comment

Coastaldigest.com reserves the right to delete or block any comments.
Coastaldigset.com is not responsible for its readers’ comments.
Comments that are abusive, incendiary or irrelevant are strictly prohibited.
Please use a genuine email ID and provide your name to avoid reject.

SIT raids rape accused BJP MLA Munirathna’s residence, 15 other locations

News Network

September 28,2024

Bengaluru, Sep 28: The Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing charges against arrested Karnataka BJP MLA N. Munirathna Naidu, including allegations of rape, honey-trapping, and other offences, on Saturday conducted raids at his residence and 15 other locations across the city.

Sources confirmed that the raids were taking place at his Vyalikaval residence and other properties owned by the BJP MLA. The operation is being conducted by the SIT under the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) led by ACP Kavitha.

The team is examining documents, electronic devices, and other materials related to the rape and honey-trapping case. The SIT is being supported by experts from the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL), with Superintendent of Police (SP) Sowmya Latha also participating in the search and inspection at Munirathna’s Vyalikaval residence.

According to sources, the raids were triggered by information provided by the victim, who alleged that Munirathna recorded footage of sexual assaults and used it to blackmail politicians and public servants, including IAS and IPS officers.

The victim reportedly revealed that she was used to entrap the woman who had lodged a rape case against a senior IFS officer. She was allegedly instructed to frame the rape victim in a drug peddling case.

The complainant told police that she was tasked with capturing compromising videos of the rape victim who had filed the case against the IFS officer. She claimed that, after several failed attempts to obtain the videos, the victim was drugged with sleeping pills, and obscene footage was recorded without her consent. Later, the IFS officer was bailed out from the charges.

Furthermore, the complainant has accused MLA Munirathna of raping her at his office within the state legislature, in his official vehicle, and at his godown. She has alleged that he recorded videos of these assaults.

Police sources also revealed that the victim in the MLA's case provided details of a plot involving sending HIV-infected women to Munirathna's targets in an attempt to ruin them politically and personally. She also disclosed the names of several politicians whom she had entrapped through honey-trapping.

The woman further claimed that Munirathna had threatened to have her son kidnapped and killed if she refused to comply with his demands. According to her, the MLA had a well-organised team dedicated to carrying out these honey-trapping operations, and she provided details about his close associates and relatives involved in the scheme.

Munirathna, who was in judicial custody following his arrest in the rape and honey-trap case, has now been taken into the custody of the SIT.

The MLA was transferred from Bengaluru Central Jail to the CID office on the night of September 24. The BJP legislator, however, has denied all the allegations, claiming they are false.

Karnataka Congress leader D.K. Suresh had alleged that Munirathna was trying to infect his adversaries with HIV and that the government should investigate the matter.

Comments