Paresh Mesta case: CBI closure report will be reviewed for reprobe, says Karnataka Home Minister

"The Central Bureau of Investigation's (CBI) has filed a B-report in the Paresh Mesta case. However, Mesta's father has asked for a reinvestigation of the case. The government is reviewing to take a call on reinvestigation," minister Jnanendra stated.

Dakshina Kannada (Karnataka):Karnataka Home Minister Araga Jnanendra on Monday said that the CBI closure report on Hindu youth Paresh Mesta will be reviewed for reinvestigation. "The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has filed a B-report in the Paresh Mesta case. However, Mesta's father has asked for a reinvestigation of the case. The government is reviewing to take a call on reinvestigation," minister Jnanendra stated.

He further stated that it is a necessity that the suspicious death of Paresh Mesta has to be reviewed and the exact cause should be ascertained. Mesta's father and locals claim it to be a case of murder, he added. According to the charge sheet, the Hindu youth died after slipping into the lake, while wandering when communal clashes were underway in Honnavara town of the Uttara Kannada district of Karnataka in 2017. The charge sheet mentioned that Paresh Mesta had attended the then CM Siddaramaiah's programme in Kumta city after travelling about 25 km with his friends.

Paresh Mesta, who went missing on December 6, 2017, during the communal clashes in Honnavar town, was found dead near Shettikere lake after two days. Ruling BJP and Hindu activists alleged that Paresh was killed in the mob violence and killers dumped the body later. The BJP, which was in the opposition then, had launched a full-fledged agitation against the ruling Congress then. The ruling Congress government suffered a setback due to the agitation in the assembly elections of 2018.

Hindu activists demanding the arrest of the killers of Paresh had torched the vehicle of the IGP. They pelted stones at police and as a result, many policemen were injured. BJP had made it a major issue in the elections. Including Union Home Minister Amit Shah, and many political leaders, who visited Paresh's house. Then Siddaramaiah government handed over the case to the CBI.

The report by the CBI is analysed to be a setback for the ruling BJP, which termed Paresh Mesta's death "accidental" and filed a closure report. The CBI has filed the closure report after investigating the case for five years. It will pronounce the verdict on November 16. The incident had taken place during the tenure of the Congress government headed by Opposition leader Siddaramaiah.

"The CBI has in its report, stated that Paresh Mesta's death was accidental and was not due to murder. This report is a slap on the face of the Karnataka BJP. "If BJP has left with any shame left, it should apologise for its slanderous campaign," Siddaramaiah had stated. The ruling BJP in Karnataka which had suffered a setback after the CBI filing closure report in Mesta's death case has decided to support his family.