Dharmasthala case: Karnataka minister Parameshwara questions need for NIA probe

Bengaluru: Amid mounting pressure for an NIA probe into the Dharmasthala case, Karnataka Home Minister G Parameshwara on Thursday said the state government has already constituted a Special Investigation Team (SIT) and that the Centre has to justify any move to take over the inquiry.

Questioning the rationale behind the demand for an NIA probe, Parameshwara remarked, “... We formed an SIT to probe it. Earlier, they (religious leaders) were saying that the SIT probe itself was not proper. Now they are demanding that the matter be handed over to the NIA. Isn’t that an investigation too?” He was responding to a query from reporters about Seers meeting Union Home Minister Amit Shah and pressing for a National Investigation Agency (NIA) probe.

On the issue of foreign funding, he replied, “Naturally, the central government has to probe that aspect as the state government cannot do it.”

Addressing the media, the minister maintained that SIT was looking into the allegations of multiple murders and burial of bodies in the temple town of Dharmasthala in Dakshina Kannada district.

“If there are any shortcomings in the investigation, then it should be brought to our notice,” Parameshwara said.

Asked whether the state would comply if the NIA formally sought the case, he said, “The NIA will have to justify why it wants to probe it. The state government will not have options if they justify it.” Commenting on SIT summoning Uday Jain, he said, “I don’t know what information SIT got because they have to gather details related to each matter. The SIT might have summoned him based on the information provided by the informants. Every information cannot be shared unless the investigation is completed.”

Refuting claims of a reinvestigation into the 2012 case of Soujanya, who was kidnapped, raped and murdered in 2012 in Dharmasthala, Parameshwara said, “I am not going to call it reinvestigation. We will get to know with what objective and link they (SIT) are investigating it. We cannot say at this juncture.” Asked why the government did not act sooner on intelligence inputs about meetings allegedly held by an NGO after the Soujanya case verdict, Parameshwara responded, “I only deal with policing, law and order, and crime. Intelligence is with the Chief Minister.”

Reacting to political leaders' march to Dharmasthala, he said, “Lord Manjunatha Swamy (the deity of Dharmasthala) doesn’t belong to any individual. He gives a call to everyone. From that point of view there is nothing wrong in going there — whether BJP, JD(S) or Congress go there. There is no hindrance in anyone going to Dharmasthala.” He added, “We are only questioning why they (BJP) went there after the Dharmasthala issue surfaced. A question emerges as to why didn’t they (BJP) go there earlier. It’s obvious that there is politics behind it.” Parameshwara further said the Congress rally to Dharmasthala was in response to the BJP.

“Because the BJP went to Dharmasthala, Congress workers too marched there. Hadn’t they (BJP) gone there, Congress workers also wouldn’t have travelled there. That’s how we must think,” he remarked.

A controversy erupted after a complainant, later identified as C N Chinnaiah and arrested on charges of perjury, claimed burying a number of bodies, including those of women with signs of sexual assault, in Dharmasthala over a period of time, with the implications pointing towards the administrators of the local temple.

The BJP had protested against targeting the temple. Veerendra Heggade, the Dharmadhikari or the custodian of the temple too had welcomed the constitution of the SIT.