Kalburgi murder case: Slow pace of probe raises 'suspicion', say writers

Bengaluru: Voicing concern over “inability” of investigators to nab the assailants of rationalist MM Kalburgi even nine months after his murder, several eminent thinkers and scholars in Karnataka on Monday said the slow pace of probe raises “suspicion”. [caption id=“attachment_2796994” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] MM Kalburgi. PTI[/caption] In a letter to the President, the Prime Minister, Union Home Minister, Karnataka Governor and the Chief Minister, they said the state government should show its resolve in favour of democratic principles by nabbing those behind the killing and taking action against them as per law. The signatories include literary figures, scholars and rationalists like Chandrashekar Patil, Narendra Nayak, Panditaradhya, Hema Pattanashetty, Vasanta Shetty and Sushi Kadanakuppe. Demanding that the facts behind the killing of Kalburgi be made public, they said the case not reaching any conclusion even after nine months would send a “wrong” message to the society. Kalburgi, 77-year-old rationalist fell to the bullets of two unidentified men at his residence at Dharwad in north Karnataka, considered the state’s cultural capital, in August last year. Alleging that CID, investigating the case, had not placed any facts in front of the public, they said “after the sketch of the suspects were released, we are not aware as to where the investigations have reached.” Inability to come to any conclusion so far creates suspicion about the responsible investigation, they added. The state CID is probing the killing, which had led to national outrage with several writers returning their Sahitya Akademi awards over “rising intolerance”, citing the murder of Kalburgi as one of the reasons for their action. Citing slow phase of the investigation, the letter expressed apprehensions that Kalburgi case will face similar consequences to that of Dabholkar and Pansare of Maharashtra. Anti-superstition crusader Dabholkar was shot dead in Pune on August 20, 2013, while Pansare, a prominent anti-toll activist and rationalist, was shot-at in Kolhapur on 16 February last year. He died in Mumbai four days later. Investigators are also looking for links between the murders of Kalburgi, Dabholkar and Pansare. Stating that finding out those behind the killing will be a tribute that the government can pay to Kalburgi, the signatories said not doing so will be an indirect support to religious fundamentalists. They said it would also indirectly indicate curtailing freedom of thinking and free sharing ideology and also silence voice against fundamentalism.