Acharya's gunman accused of forgery

Somashekar, a gunman of Home Minister V S Acharya, is said to have forged his sister’s signature to claim a compensation of Rs 7 crore for losing the family land to Karnataka Industrial Area Development Board (KIADB).

While Somashekar has managed to silence both his sisters using his ‘proximity’ to the minister, Kanti, Kanthamani’s son, the victim and Somashekar’s sister, has allegedly that the accused used the gun meant to guard the Minister to threaten them.

Case history

Somashekhar’s father, late B K Chandrashekharaiah, a resident of Unchur village in Jala hobli in Devanahalli taluk, Bangalore rural district, had eight children –– five sons and three daughters.

He owned around 27 acres of land in bits and pieces in different areas in and around Devanahalli. The KIADB acquired the land on May 17, 2007, for the Bangalore International Airport.

Differences of opinion cropped up between brothers and sisters over the distribution of compensation and Kanthamani approached the Civil Court.

Meanwhile, Somashehar and his brother Vishwanath, a postman in Nandini Layout, prepared the relevant documents and got signatures of their sisters, except Kanthamani.
They forged Kanthamani’s signature and submitted the same to KIADB and got Rs 7 crore. They convened a meeting with the village elders and struck upon a compromise according to which each of the daughters were to get Rs 19.38 lakh, while sons got Rs 2 crore each.

When Kanthamani learned of these development a few months later, Somashekar threatened her with dire consequences. It took her some time to avail the documents from KIADB and then lodged a complaint with the Devanahalli police station, but nothing much happened.

On Saturday evening, she approached the Commissioner of Police, Shankar M Bidari alleging that her brothers had withdrawn the amount from a bank in Gandhinagar last year by forging her signature.

Family dispute

When asked about the case, Dr Acharya told Deccan Herald: “I only aware that there is some dispute among Somashekhar’s family members. It is their domestic and personal problem.

“If there is any injustice, appropriate authorities will look into the matter and take action accordingly.”

Meanwhile Commissioner Bidari said that the case has been transferred to the City Crime Branch (CCB).

Kanthamani’s son said that he has already written to the Chief Minister, Home Minister, DG&IGP and Police Commissioner. He will stage protests in front of residences of these persons and Raj Bhavan if he fails to get justice.

“We are well off. We do not want the money. But, we want the guilty to be punished,” he said.