A hapless father’s quest for justice

A hapless father’s quest for justice

Having lost his only son, the slain RTI activist Vinayak Baliga by a cruel, ghastly murder allegedly through a conspiracy by vested interests to silence him, the 85-year-old Ramachandra Baliga continues his fight for justice. With his two unmarried daughters by his side, he went today to serve the dasti notice of the Supreme court on the accused no. 1 Naresh Shenoy as to why his bail should not be cancelled. He had to recourse to this as the due procedure of the court to serve the notice could take months and the hearing in this emergent matter is scheduled for 30 days after the receipt of the notice by the opposite party. In such murder cases, bail is not usually granted but one has every reason to suspect that the powerful political connections behind him have helped matters. The investigations too seem to have come to a dead end and the additional charge sheet is yet to be filed. Like in the Shahabuddin case where political connections have resulted in him getting bail which was later cancelled by the supreme court, now recourse to this apex body seems to be a succor for the helpless victims of the system.

Again, while the prime accused claims innocence he has been steadfastly refusing to subject himself to narco analysis which gives rise to the suspicion as to why who is innocent would object to an investigation which is aimed to find out the truth. While evidence gathered during narco analysis cannot be used in a court of law it can certainly shed light on the investigations and can help in the collection of further evidence. Is it this fear that is making him recourse to refusal for this test? While his contentions have been upheld by the lower courts Baliga has now approached the High court of Karnataka in his quest for justice and notice has been already issued to the accused no 1, Naresh Shenoy. The counsel for Baliga has argued that if the accused has apprehensions about the misuse of the procedure, the same can be conducted in the presence of a judicial magistrate and the procedure video graphed to ensure that the questioning will be confined only to the circumstances of the Vinayak Baliga murder case.

While the admission of the case by the Supreme court raises hopes that justice will be done, the investigations by the police too shall hopefully pick up to get justice for the victim. We do hope that the commissioner of police Chandra Sekhar who is well known for his upright and no-nonsense approach shall continue his supervision of the investigations which have come so far only because of him, that the full conspiracy behind the murder, the non-availability of certain crucial evidence which is said to have been the cause for the murder, the details of the conspiracy and the logistics of the support for the prime accused when he was on the run from the police for nearly three months shall all be brought to light in the additional charge sheet.

Struggling for breath Ramachandra Baliga had his last words as I was leaving him – he said Narendra- do you think I will be alive to see justice done for my son? Vinayak Baliga’s mother to repeated the same with tears rolling down her eyes – the tears of a mother who saw her son being cruelly hacked to death just outside her home. Well, yours truly feels that neither the society nor he has an answer. But, Baliga continues his struggle as he believes that the though the wheels of justice grind slow they grind fine and that one-day justice shall be done whether he is physically there to observe it. Baliga’s four daughters-one elder and three younger to the slain activist Vinayak Baliga are now firmly behind their parents and want to see justice done to their brother at least during their lifetime.

Case History:

• Vinayak Baliga Murder Case, Investigation At Standstill
• The latest on the Vinayak Baliga case
• Prime Accused in Baliga Murder case Naresh Shenoy Released on Bail
• Why Baliga Murder Case Come to a Standstill- Prof N Nayak
• Naresh Shenoy in Custody – Police Seek Narco-analysis
• Baliga Murder – Ruling on Bail to Naresh Shenoy on Aug 9
• Where are other accused behind Vinayak Baliga murder case?
• An open letter to the Director General CSIR
• Baliga Murder – Family Congratulates City Police Chief
• Baliga Murder Case – Naresh Shenoy Produced in Court
• Baliga Murder Case Prime accused Naresh Shenoy arrested
• Naresh Shenoy will be Arrested Soon – Sources
• Baliga Murder – Naresh, 6 Others Chargesheeted
• Another Accused Srikanth Arrested in Baliga Murder case
• Manjunath Arrested in Baliga Murder case
• Baliga Murder – Naresh Shenoy’s Close Associate in Police Custody
• Police Raid House of Vedavyas in Mannagudda in Baliga Murder Case
  
• Baliga Murder, DSO Holds Padayatra to Arrest Naresh Shenoy
• Anticipatory Bail for Naresh Shenoy in Baliga Murder Case Rejected
• Baliga Murder – Police to File Objection to Naresh Shenoy’s Bail
• ‘Politicians are Dumb and Mangalureans are Deaf’ – Dr Narendra Nayak
• Baliga Murder Case – Accused Shiva Arrested?
• BJP Leaders Involved in the Murder of Vinayak Baliga – Mithun Rai
• Baliga Murder Accused Sent to Three-day Police Custody
• ‘Lookout Notice Issued against Yuva Brigade’s Naresh Shenoy’ – Police
• ‘BJP Directly Involved in Murder of Vinayak Baliga’ – Ramanath Rai
• Has Murder Suspect Fled to Dubai? Baliga Family Expresses Fears
• CPI(M) Demands Thorough Probe into Vinayak Baliga Murder Case
• Vinayak Baliga’s Work Gains Momentum at National Level
• Nikhil Shenoy in City on Fact-finding Mission in Baliga Murder Case
• Baliga Murder – Police Raid House of Naresh Shenoy of Yuva Brigade
• Police Look out for Shiva and Shrikant Wanted in Baliga Murder Case
• Activists Demand Special Investigation Team in Baliga Murder Case
• Baliga Murder – Fingers Pointed at Yuva Brigade Leader
• An Open Letter to Fellow-Mangalureans on Vinayak Baliga’s Murder
• Vinayak Baliga Murder – Two Suspects Arrested
• Murder of Vinayak Baliga, RTI Activist who Fought for Justice
• RTI Activist Vinayak Baliga Hacked to Death at Kodialbail