BJP Demand for CBI Probe Rejected by Karnataka Government as Jain Monk’s Murder Issue Rocks Assembly

In response to the Karnataka government’s decision to reject a CBI investigation into the gruesome killing of a Jain monk in the Belagavi district, the opposition BJP staged a protest on Tuesday by pouring into the chamber of the Karnataka Legislative Assembly and accused the Siddaramaiah-led government of not taking the matter seriously.

During the second half of the day, the BJP’s protest disrupted the House’s business, forcing Speaker U T Khader to adjourn the House first for a short period of time and then for the rest of the day after his repeated attempts to conduct the business by asking opposition MLAs to take their seats failed.

The BJP brought up the murder of a “Yuva Brigade” member in the Mysuru district and questioned the state’s government about maintaining law and order, alleging that a number of killings have occurred since the Congress took office. They also demanded a thorough investigation and harsh punishment for those responsible.

Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Home Minister G Parameshwara rejected the BJP’s demand for a CBI investigation into the death of a Jain monk, saying that the administration has treated all cases seriously. According to reports, police are effectively investigating the cases, will discover the truth, and will take ruthless, stern measures against the offenders.

Basavaraj Bommai, a BJP politician and former chief minister, said that the government has not taken the matter seriously since it has not heeded their requests.

He led BJP MLAs to the House well and said, “We have no faith in this government and its actions, so we will stage a protest.”

Jain cleric Kamkumar Supposedly slain and his corpse thrown in a borewell pit at Khatakbhavi village in Raibag taluk last week was Nandi Maharaj from Nand Parvat Ashram in Hirekodi village in Chikkodi taluk of Belagavi. Two people, Narayana Basappa Madi and Hassan Dalayath, have been detained by the police in connection with the case.

During his intervention, Siddaramaiah referred to the murder of the Jain monk as shocking and asserted that the police are successfully handling the case and that there is no need to protect anyone. He also stated that the government will take all necessary steps to ensure that anyone responsible receives a severe punishment. “Investigation is ongoing because the government has taken this case seriously.” “I guarantee the Assembly that our administration will not attempt to shield anyone responsible, regardless of whether it involves the murder of a Jain monk or the assassination of a Yuva Brigade soldier. There is no need to turn the case over to the CBI at this time because it is wrong to cast doubt on our own police and do so. Police will investigate, he continued.

According to a statement made by Parameshwara, who shared information on the murder of the Jain monk and the case’s preliminary investigation, police had the accused in custody six hours after receiving the complaint. I commend the police for acting quickly; other inquiries are ongoing. “You (the opposition) are free to call for a CBI investigation, but aren’t our police effective? One of the greatest police forces in the nation is the Karnataka Police. What is the need for a CBI investigation when the police have the guilty parties in custody and are conducting the investigation after six hours? There is no necessity for the CBI investigation, thus turning the issue over to them is not an option, he stated.

He said that there would be no cover-up, a fair investigation would reveal the truth, and the government would guarantee that anyone responsible would get harsh punishment.

In response to the Minister’s assertion, Bommai said that the murder of the Jain monk was different from previous cases because it was a “gruesome and cold-blooded murder” with a pre-planned plot at its core.

“The police immediately after apprehending the accused reached to the conclusion that money transactions between the monk and one of the suspects caused the murder, which is why we are asking a CBI investigation. The government should not turn it into a matter of prestige and should allow the truth to come out, he said, adding that this has led to the suspicion of police efforts to cover up the case.

He said, “A CBI investigation can identify the true conspirators and those responsible for the murder and can guarantee the strictest action against the offenders.”

BJP legislator Abhay Patil and former home minister Araga Jnanendra both called for a CBI investigation.

Later, while speaking about the murder of Yuva Brigade member Venugopal Nayak at T Narasipura, Parameshwara shared the specifics of the event and the results of the ongoing inquiry, saying that all of the suspects in the case had been taken into custody by the police.

He said that since the dead and the accused knew one another, personal problems led to the murder.

The issue would be investigated from all perspectives, Siddaramaiah stated, and if there was police dereliction of duty, action will be done against them. The BJP has claimed that police failures contributed to Nayak’s death.

An altercation between two groups of youngsters on Sunday near T Narasipura is said to have resulted in the fatal stabbing of Nayak, a member of the Yuva Brigade.

In response to the statement, Bommai said that since there were police there for Hanuma Jayanti festivities and authorities were aware of the disagreement between individuals engaged in the incident the day before, Nayak’s murder may have been prevented.

What steps have been done to hold the authorities and police accountable for their negligence? He said that more than ten similar series of occurrences had occurred throughout the state and questioned what message he was trying to convey by not taking any action.