Members of the Billava community staged a dharna in front of the Deputy Commissioner's office here on Tuesday seeking an impartial inquiry into the death of national-level athlete Prathvi Amparu.
A second year student at SMS Pre-University College in Brahmavar, Prathvi committed suicide in her hostel room under mysterious circumstances on September 27.
President of the Udupi City Municipal Council (CMC) Kiran Kumar said that in the death of Prathvi, the district had lost a national-level athlete.
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Though the police had arrested a person, he was later released on bail and the case had not progressed further. The persons responsible for her death should be arrested, he said.
President of the Udupi Block Congress Committee Pramod Madhwaraj said that those responsible for her death should be arrested and legal action should be initiated against those protecting them.
Leader of the Billava community Harikrishna Bantwal said that a murder had taken place in the name of suicide. Though Prathvi belonged to the Billava community, she was a national asset as she had many achievements to her credit in athletics.
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The government should either order an inquiry by the Corps of Detectives (CoD) or a judicial inquiry into the death of Prathvi, he said.
In a memorandum submitted to Deputy Commissioner M.T. Reju, the members of the Billava Samaj sought an impartial probe into the death of Prathvi.
A copy of the memorandum was also submitted to IGP Alok Mohan and Superintendent of Police Y.S. Ravi Kumar.
Chairman of the Mysore Tobacco Company B.N. Shankar Poojary, zilla panchayat member Mallika B. Poojary, Billava community leaders Raghavendra Malpe, Shambhu Poojary, Baby S. Poojary, Satish Poojary, and Usha Poojary were present.