Baliga’s sisters continue his battles
Mangaluru: Those who cruelly butchered Vinayak Baliga on the 21st of March would have done it with the intention of putting an end to the battles he had started. It was thought that he was the only son with the aged parents and sisters one elder and three younger. The youngest two Anuradha and Harsha are not married as yet. With aged parents and women only in the family, his adversaries would have thought that there would be no one to carry on with the issues he had taken up. It was probably thought that the criminal case would be also made weak and the real forces who masterminded his murder would go scot-free with the criminals who murdered him behind bars who could be released due to lack of evidence when the trial was over. The circumstances too point towards such a sketch. But, due to the diligent efforts of his sisters, the plans are not so easy to carry out!
It was thought that some of the things that Baliga wanted like a scheme for the management of the Temple of his favourite deity, the Sri Venkataramana Temple at Mangalore and the re-audit of the accounts as he suspected a lot of misuse of funds would not happen as there would be no one to pursue the cases as all would be scared of the death of the dissenter. In fact, they had succeeded to some extent. The sessions court of Mangalore had ordered for the re-audit of the accounts and an auditor had agreed to it. But when Baliga was murdered he withdrew from it citing security threats to his staff. So, though two years have elapsed after the murder of the dissenter the questions raised by him have not been answered! He had questioned the misuse of funds, lack of accountability, inflation of bills and many such issues. Though an audited statement was handed over to him he had questioned that itself which caused the discomfiture to the chartered accountant who had signed the previous balance sheet. Now, Anuradha Baliga the sister of Vinayak Baliga filed a complaint with the Mujari Department who have now ordered an enquiry into the alleged misdeeds of the Temple management. The order to that effect has been passed by the deputy commissioner of Dakshina Kannada.
The other case that was pursued was the complaint he had filed with the Mangalore city corporation against the illegal construction by South Kanara Dravida Brahmins Association who had put buildings for a school called Sharada Vidyalaya flouting all rules. The complaint had been posted for hearing a few days after Baliga was murdered and the case was taken up by his youngest sister Harsha who diligently attended hearings and put forward arguments supporting her deceased brother’s complaint. The demolition order for the excess constructed area has been passed recently.
The investigations into the murder case of Baliga had come to a halt after the arrest of the accused no. 1 Naresh Shenoy who managed to get bail after some months, He had been violating the conditions of the bail with impunity which has been brought to the attention of the court by Anuradha Baliga who has impleaded herself into the case. She has been filing applications in various courts and continuing her battle for the constitution of a special investigation team to go into the full plot behind the murder of her brother. In the enclosed photograph the two sisters are handing over a memorandum to the Deputy Commissioner of DK addressed to the chief minister and home minister.
To express support to the family and to demonstrate our commitment to the cause of justice, we have planned for a march from the car street Venkatrmana Temple to his home followed by a public meeting on the 21st of March.
Prof. Narendra Nayak
on Behalf of Desha Premi Sanghatanegala Okkuta
