BJP, Hindu outfits responsible for Kuttappa's death, says AKS

'Bandh led to tension and resulted in the loss of three lives'

Jathyatheetha Okkoota’s honorary president and High Court advocate A K Subbaiah on Thursday held BJP, VHP and Bajrang Dal, which had called for a district bandh on November 10, are responsible for the death of district VHP unit’s organising secretary Devapanda Kuttappa.

Addressing a press conference in the town, Subbaiah said the State government had decided to observe Tipu Jayanti on November 10. There were many ways to oppose the celebration of the Tipu Jayanti. But the BJP legislators gave a call for the bandh voluntarily. This led to tension and resulted in the death of three people, including Kuttappa, he charged.

“In a complaint to police, Kuttappa’s son has said that Kuttappa, who had come to Madikeri for the third day programme in connection with the marriage of a relative, had been killed.Then, why was Kuttappa moving around the District Hospital and G T Circle near Town Hall where the Tipu Jayanti programme was organised? I don’t know whether there will be a special programme on the third day of a mariage? As I know, there will not be any such programmes,” he said.

Subbaiah said a number of Muslims had come to take part in the programme on that day. Stones were thrown at them near the District Hospital.The Muslims threw back the stones to protect themselves. Kuttappa, who was present there, ran to save himself and died. Only an investigation would bring out the truth whether he died due to stone throwing or he fell into a pit and died, Subbaiah added.

He said Kuttappa, who was aged, should not have gone to the place where there was chaos about observing Tipu Jayanti. He himself invited death. He needlessly lost his life by creating trouble to observe Tipu Jayanti. The BJP, VHP and Bajrang Dal, which had called for the bandh on that day, are responsible for all this, he charged.

PIL in High Court
Subbaiah said Kerala High Court has upheld a judgement that organisations will be responsible for loss of life and loss during bandhs. The Supreme Court has also upheld this verdict. A public interest litigation (PIL) will be filed in the High Court holding the Kodagu district BJP unit responsible for the violence, he said.

CBI probe demanded
He said the government should hand over the probe of Kuttappa and Shahul Hameed death cases to CBI. A retired or current High Court judge should conduct a probe into the violence that occurred in Madikeri, Somwarpet, Napoklu and other places in the district, he demanded.

Compensation issue
Subbaiah said, “The government has provided a compensation of Rs 5 lakh each to the families of Kuttappa, who had opposed the celebration of Tipu Jayanti and Shahul Hameed, who was supporting the event. But the government has not provided compensation to the family of Raju who died after falling from the hospital building in that charged atmosphere.” 

Jathyatheetha Okkoota president and advocate K R Vidyadhar was present on the occasion.