The Bharatiya Janata Party on Friday demanded the government withdraw the murder case against an Anti-Naxal Force (ANF) constable for shooting down a cattle transporter suspecting him to be a Maoist near Sringeri.
At a press conference here, BJP State general secretary C.T. Ravi said, “No doubt the incident is accidental, but nevertheless the youth, Kabir, who was killed was not an innocent. There are cases of illegal transportation of cattle and related issues against him in different police stations. Besides, the group of youth who were illegally transporting cattle started running away when ANF personnel stopped them at a check-post. This was why the ANF personnel mistook them for Maoists.”
He said that booking the constable for murder would crush the morale of the ANF as well as the police force who would not try to take any risk in the future. This may result in strengthening of the Maoist cadre, he said.
CriticisedThe former chairperson of the Karnataka State Women’s Commission and co-spokesperson of the BJP Manjula took exception to Chief Minister Siddaramaiah’s silence over “honour killing” of a 19-year-old girl, Shilpa, who was burnt alive near Malavalli for marrying outside her caste.
She stressed the need for immediate appointment of the chairperson for the women’s commission so that issues related to women would get proper focus.