Bengaluru/Haveri: The Karnataka government has decided to hand over the case relating to the murder of 22-year-old Chandru, who was allegedly stabbed to death recently by some youths, to the Criminal Investigation Department (CID). The decision was taken with the intention of conducting an independent inquiry. "Let an impartial probe happen by a third party and truth should come out", Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai told reporters on Sunday in Haveri.
Chandru, who was accompanied by his friend Simon Raj, was stabbed to death on April 4 at the Jagajivanaram Nagar Police Station area in Bengaluru. According to the Police, at around midnight on 4 April, Chandru and his friend Simon Raj’s bike bumped into another bike belonging to one Shahid within JJ Nagar Police Station limits. The three then got into an argument over the accident.After his bike collided with another two-wheeler in the Haleguddalahalli area. Chandru was stabbed by one of the accused resulting in his death. Based on CCTV footage, the police arrested three suspects in the case on the same day. The accused were identified as Shahid Pasha (21), Shahid Goli (22), and a minor.
Read: Bengaluru murder: Home Minister Jnanendra blames Urdu, makes u-turn later
The CM’s move to hand over the case to CID comes in the wake of the contradicting statements from a section of BJP functionaries and police about the cause of Chandru’s death. Home minister Araga Jnenendra on the day of incident had initially stated that the group of youths killed Chandru enraged by his denial to speak in Urdu, but withdrew his statement after the City Police Commissioner Kamal Pant cited a road rage related to bike coalition as the reason for the murder.
But, the incident took a new turn on Saturday after BJP national general secretary CT Ravi and state general secretary N Ravikumar alleged that the Police Commissioner had lied and even exerted pressure on the Home Minister to hide the truth. While this has given rise to a fresh bout of a slugfest between the ruling BJP and opposition parties, Bommai decided to hand over the investigation of the case to CID apparently owing to the criticism of the principal opposition Congress especially.
