DySP transfer: Did minister Parameshwar Naik try to protect kin in murder case?

BALLARI: Is there more to the abrupt transfer of Kudligi's deputy superintendent of police, Anupama Shenoy, than meets the eye as relatives of a murder victim alleged that the officer was shunted out because she was closing in on some relatives of minister P.T. Parameshwar Naik in the case.

The officer was investigating the murder of a Hagaribommanahalli-based truck owner, Mr Yamanappa, who was found dead on July 17, 2015. Mrs Jyothi, widow of the victim, alleged that her husband did not commit suicide but was murdered by Venkatesh Naik and Shiva Naik, both relatives of the minister, over a financial dispute. The victim had mentioned in his pocket diary that he was facing a threat from the duo, she stated in her petition to superintendent of police R. Chetan.

Lending credence to speculation about the reason for her sudden transfer, Buddi Basavaraj, a relative of the victim said: “A day after we met DSP madam, she was transferred by the minister as he must have guessed that his relatives would go behind bars if she continues here.”

Though Mr Parameshwar Naik was seen in the video clip saying, “Police had initially closed the case pertaining to the mysterious death of a girl as suicide. Later, people told me that the forensic report has revealed it is a case of a murder. I called that lady (DySP Anupama Shenoy) to inquire about that case,” the victim's relatives alleged that he called her to check the status of investigation in the murder case. When he did not get a positive response from the police officer during his conversation over the phone, the minister punished her on grounds that she put his call on hold.

On his part, Mr Chetan said he had directed the woman officer to act as per the law and not to yield any pressures while referring the murder case to her for investigation.

Reacting to such allegations by the victim's relatives, Mr Parameshwar Naik maintained that he does not know "who Venkatesh Naik is," "who was murdered and what the caste is".

Sources in Congress said Mr Venkatesh Naik was indeed a relative of the minister and that the leader had secured a Congress ticket for the former's wife for forthcoming ZP elections (Chirabi in Hagaribommanahalli constituency).