The BJP has demanded a CBI probe into the rape and murder of a 17-year-old girl in Ujire last year and has blamed the Congress-led government for delaying the investigation into the case.
Addressing presspersons on Thursday, the former Chief Minister D.V. Sadananda Gowda said the delay in probe by the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) has led to a bevy of allegations and “attempts to character assassinate”.
“The delay has led to a lot of uncertainty and doubts of a fair investigation… there have been allegations against Dharmasthala Kshetra, which is spoiling the religious ethos of the place,” he said, in a reference to the allegations made by the victim’s parents against Dharmasthala Dharmadhikari D. Veerendra Heggade. The girl’s parents have alleged that Mr. Heggade has shielded the real culprits – a charge denied by Mr. Heggade.
“The BJP demands that the government hand over the case to the CBI or to come out with the CID report soon,” he said.
He claimed the previous BJP government had “done all it could to get to the root of the case”, but there had been no progress after the Congress was the elected to power.
Compensation
Mr. Gowda further attacked the government on the issue of the compensation for farmers whose cattle have been afflicted by the foot-and-mouth disease or those whose areca crop has been affected by fruit-rot disease (kole roga).
“It is only after protests that the government announces compensation, and even after this, they do nothing to dispense compensation,” he said, and added that farmers were being driven to destitution because of the State government’s policies. The district BJP was planning a protest rally in Puttur on October 29 on the issue, he said.
