The Hindu : Nagappa's death: Seers' plea rejected

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, Dec 22, 2002

Southern States

Southern States - Karnataka

Nagappa's death: Seers' plea rejected

By Our Special Correspondent

GULBARGA Dec. 21. The State Government has rejected the demand made by the Veerashaiva mathadipathis and the Opposition parties to entrust the CBI with the investigation of the death of the former minister, H. Nagappa, while he was being held hostage by the forest brigand, Veerappan.

The Home Minister, Mallikarjun Kharge, told presspersons here today that the experience of the State Government so far with the CBI was not very encouraging and the premier investigating agency had turned down many requests from the Government to take over the investigation in many serious cases, including the killing of dalits in Kambalapalli.

Even in cases which had been taken over by the CBI, such the killing of Chittaranjan, the investigation was incomplete, Mr. Kharge said, and added that the Government had taken a decision not to ask the CBI to inquire into any case.

The State police were competent enough to crack complicated cases.

The successful investigation of the bomb explosions in churches and the arrest of those involved in the crime, the recent arrest of Tamil militants planning to undertake subversive activities in the State, and the detection of the stamp paper racket proved the effectiveness of the State police in dealing with even the toughest of cases.

Defending the decision to order a judicial inquiry by a sitting judge of the Karnataka High Court into the killing of Nagappa, the Home Minister said the Government's intentions in ordering the inquiry were not suspect.

When asked about the timing of the announcement of the judicial inquiry when a legislature session had been convened specially to discuss the Nagappa issue, Mr. Kharge said there was no truth in the claims of the Opposition parties that the inquiry was announced to muzzle them and prevent a discussion in the Legislature about the abduction and killing of Nagappa.

He said the appointment of the inquiry commission would not prevent the Opposition parties from discussing the matter or criticising the Government for the manner in which the episode was handled. The inquiry should satisfy the Opposition parties since a High Court judge could not be influenced by anybody.

To a question, Mr. Kharge said the proposal seeking additional men and material for the operations against Veerappan would be submitted to the Union Government in a couple of days.

The Centre had promised all help in the anti-Veerappan operations and "this time we will take the operations against Veerappan to its logical end, and no effort will be spared to end the menace".

When asked whether the Kerala police were also being involved in the joint STF operations against the brigand, Mr. Kharge said Kerala police personnel were also involved in the operations in the forests in that State. Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, and Kerala were acting in unison to apprehend Veerappan.

On the whereabouts of the brigand, Mr. Kharge said the STF men were hot on his trail and all efforts were being made to locate his hideouts. Asked about the reports of Veerappan having been sighted in forests on the Kerala side, Mr. Kharge dismissed it as a rumour.

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