Ballari: Criminal Investigation Department (CID) sleuths interrogated a gunman attached to Ballari MP B. Sriramulu for two days in connection with the suicide of KAS officer Bheema Naik's driver Ramesh Gowda.
CID officers summoned the gunman, Chennabasappa Hosamane, for interrogation after they found that Naik had made phone calls to him. They took him to the CID office in Bengaluru on Saturday, interrogated him for two days and released him on Monday. The CID is likely to summon Mr Sriramulu too for interrogation, the sources said.
Ramesh Gowda had alleged in his suicide note that Mr Naik helped mining baron Gali Janardhana Reddy convert Rs 100 crore in black money into white just before his daughter's grand wedding in mid-November.
Ramesh had stated that he was being threatened and harassed because he knew details of the money deal between Janardhana Reddy, Sriramulu and Naik.
Ramesh had alleged that Naik had also received a kickback of 20% per cent for converting the money. He also gave details of Naik's undisclosed wealth. Ramesh revealed that Naik had agreed to pay Rs 25 crore to BJP MP Sriramulu for a BJP ticket to contest from the Hagaribommanahalli constituency in the 2018 Assembly elections.
Naik and Sriramulu knew each other since 2007 when Naik was the tahsildar of Ballari, the suicide note said. When the case hit the headlines, Sriramulu had said that when Naik was Ballari tahsildar, their relationship was purely official, and had strongly denied that they were friends.
Sources said that Chennabasappa Hosamane, a DAR constable in Ballari, was deputed as gunman to Mr Sriramulu two years ago. “He was questioned from 11 am to 5.30 pm on Tuesday and has been asked to come again for questioning on Wednesday,” an official said.
The gunman reportedly told the investigators that he had no connection with the case. “He said that he knew accused Naik for the last eight months and he had met him when Naik had visited Mr Sriramulu. He is claiming that he was not in touch with Naik, but his CDR has revealed his claims are false,” the official added.
