Kedila Shastri’s Family Alleges Attempts to Deviate Focus from Case against Swamiji

special correspondent

Puttur: The case of sexual abuse charges against Raghaveshwara Bharati Swamiji levelled by a former female vocalist and the related issues have been taking many twists and turns.

A few days ago, Govinda Shastri, claiming to be a close relative of the deceased Shyamprasad Shastri of Kedila, filed a private complaint against Diwakar Shastri, the latter’s younger brother, expressing apprehensions about the circumstances in which Shyamprasad had allegedly committed suicide by shooting himself.

The complainant had raised the issues of the gun and licence in the name of Diwakar and also the reason of its lying in the room of Shyamprasad at the time of his death. He had alleged that it was a murder and not a suicide as it was made out to be.

The eldest of the brothers of the deceased, C M Gangadhar Shastri and Shyamprasad’s wife Sandhyalakshmi convened a media meet here on Tuesday to issue a clarification in the matter.

Gangadhar said that Govinda Shastri who had claimed to be part of Shyamprasad family hailed from a sub-branch which had spread out of the original Chakrakodi family seven generations ago. Hence he could not be considered a ‘close’ relative, he said.

The said Govinda Shastri had never visited the Kedila Shastri’s house. All of a sudden, after one and a half year, he had suddenly emerged out of nowhere

Gangadhar further said that the CID investigation into the Shyamprasad’s death was at its final stage. Hence the fresh case filed by Govinda Shastri against Diwakar Shastri and others was only an attempt to deviate the focus of the investigation and to protect the accused, namely, Raghaveshwara Swamiji, Kalladka Prabhakar Bhat and Bonantaya Shivashankar Bhat.

The three have been named direct by Sandhyalakshmi in her statement for FIR. The investigation was its final stage and the Swamiji could be chargesheeted any time. To prevent this, a fresh case has been filed against Diwakar. This is because in four out of five blackmail cases filed against him and his wife Premalata, the police have filed B or C reports. In the remaining one also the police were likely to file a B report, he said.

Gangadhar also pointed at the holes in the arguments in the fresh case. The suicide of Shyamaprasad was being made out to be a murder with Diwakar and Venkatakrishna’s hand in it. He said the Diwakar was in jail at that time and Venkatakrishna was out of station. The gun belonging to Diwakar was also registered in Bantwal taluk just as that of Shyamprasad’s. He had kept the gun in safe custody of his elder brother.

When someone decided to commit suicide at the spur of the moment, he would not think of which gun to use. Besides, the latest complaint mentions that Shyamprasad had died at home in the afternoon, whereas in reality, he was taken to a Puttur hospital first and then to a hospital in Mangaluru, where he died in the evening.

He also expressed an apprehension that the letters of threat received by Diwakar and his wife Premalata, Dr Ganesh Sharma and K K Venkatakrishna might have been written by Govinda Shastri himself. Hence he demanded that Govinda Shastri be arrested and a thorough inquiry into his role be held.

He termed all charges made in Govinda Shastri’s complaint as baseless and demanded an apology from him to be tendered to Diwakar, Dr Ganesh Sharma and K K Venkatakrishna. If he failed to do so, legal proceedings would be initiated against him, he said.

Sandhyalakshmi confirmed that it was she who had received the call from Kalladka Prabhakar Bhat shortly before husband’s death. The last two calls before his death had come from the two Bhats. They had put pressure on Shyamprasad to apologize to the Swamiji who was on his Chaturmasya in Tekkar math. They wanted to him to meet the Swamiji, otherwise there would a social boycott against the family.

Since Shyamprasad was aware of the excesses and injustice heaped on his sister-in-law Premalata, he was not prepared to do so. Hence not wanting to compromise with his conscience, he ended his life.

Bengaluru report

The advocates of CID have filed an appeal to the sessions court to cancel the interim bail granted to the Swamiji on grounds of violations of the conditions. The case would be heard on Wednesday.

On Tuesday, special public prosecutor Belliappa, appearing for the CID, the Swamiji had agreed to undergo a few medical test and had decline to undergo a crucial test.

He cited the supreme court directive issued in Nityananda Swamiji case which had specified that the accused had to compulsorily under all required medical tests. By abstaining from the tests, the Swamiji had violated the conditions and hence his bail be cancelled

Recent related reports:

• Bengaluru: Sexual Assault Case – Court Orders Swamiji’s Presence in Court for Hearing

• Puttur: Witnesses in Raghaveshwara Case Allege Threat to Lives through Anonymous Letter

• Bengaluru: Charge-sheet Filed against Prominent Swamiji in Rape Case

• Mangaluru: Women’s Forums Demand Arrest of Raghaveshwara Swamiji in Sexual Assault Case

• Bengaluru: Another Woman Accuses Raghaveshwara Bharati of Sexual Abuse

• Karwar: Raghaveshwara Case – CID Team Probes at Devimane in Kitre