State govt to hand over Mesta death case to CBI

The state government has decided to hand over the probe into the death of Paresh Mesta, the BJP activist who was found dead in Honnavar last week, to the Central Bureau of Investigation. The state government has written to the Centre in this regard.

Speaking after a function organised to release convicts on good conduct, Home Minister Ramalinga Reddy on Wednesday said the state government has decided to hand over the case to the CBI respecting the feelings of Kamalakar Mesta, the deceased's father, and not due to demands of the BJP.

Commenting on the communal violence in different parts of Uttara Kannada over the past few days, Reddy said the BJP is disturbing peace in the state with elections in mind. The forensic department had stated that there was no evidence of injuries caused by weapons on Mesta's body. Reddy said there was no evidence on the body showing an attack or the use of hot water or chemicals, but BJP MP Shobha Karandlaje has alleged that unidentified miscreants chopped Mesta's hand which had a tatoo that read 'Jai Sriram'.

It seems she knows better than the doctors who conducted the postmortem, Reddy said sarcastically.

Kamalakar Mesta stated that his son had left his house in Honnavar on December 6 informing his mother that he was visiting the Shanischara temple and would return soon. However, his body was found after two days in a lake behind the same temple. Later, tension gripped Honnavar, leading to violence in Uttara Kannada.