The investigation into the death of Paresh Mesta at Honnavar, which triggered violence in Uttara Kannada, will now be handed over to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).
Home Minister Ramalinga Reddy said on Wednesday that the government had decided to recommend such a probe, but was quick to add that it was not bowing to pressure from the BJP. He said the decision was taken after a meeting with Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, because the deceased youth’s family wanted it.
“The post-mortem report will take another eight to 10 days. Once the report is out, we will get to know the exact reason behind his death. The BJP has been levelling several allegations, as they seem to be interested in keeping the issue alive till the Assembly elections,” Mr. Reddy said, adding that the BJP had employed a similar approach in the case of IAS officer D.K. Ravi’s death by alleging that police officials were behind it, which lost credence once the CBI gave a clean chit.
Last week, Honnavar erupted into clashes after Mesta’s body was found in a decomposed condition in a local lake two days after a road accident led to communal tension in the town. The BJP alleged that Mesta was a victim of a communal attack and that he was brutally tortured and killed. Soon violence spread to other towns in the district.
However, a medical report released by the government said that forensic experts found no evidence of Mesta being tortured. A complete post-mortem report is awaited.
