Khader’s PA Files Case Against Muneer Katipalla for Misleading FB Post
Mangaluru: As the prime accused Naresh Shenoy was arrested in RTI activist Vinayak Baliga murder case, rumours have been spreading around. A case has been filed against Muneer Katipalla in the Kadri police station for a defamatory post on Facebook here, on July 1.
On July 1, a message was posted by an activist on Facebook about the PA of Minister for Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs U T Khader. The said post mentions that the PA had called the Jailor of the Sub jail and said, “On behalf of Minister U T Khader, I am his PA informing you, one guest (Naresh Shenoy) will come to the sub-jail and you have to take good care of him, he should be shifted to a private hospital immediately”. The post further claimed that when the jailor got angry and refused the order of the PA, the PA too got angry and threatened the jailor of consequences.
The post also mentioned that there is strong evidence that the PA of the minister had called the jailor, and an investigation should be done to confirm whether minister himself ordered his PA to do so. “Such incidents create suspicion that there are more people behind Baliga’s murder. Let minister Khader initiate an investigation and CM Siddaramaiah should look into the matter” the post said.
When Mangalorean.com contacted U T Khader, he rubbished the allegation and said, “Some anti-social elements are trying to spoil peace in the society. My PAs did not call any jailor. After coming to know about the issue, I personally phoned the jailor and asked whether any of my PAs had called the sub-jail. The jailor replied that he did not receive any calls from any of the PAs.”
Minister Khader also said, “Muneer Katipalla is trying to defame me by publishing defamatory statements against me on the social media. When Kanachur Institute of Medical Sciences started, Muneer Katipalla spread rumours that I am the partner of Kanachur Hospital. Now, he is targeting me and trying to defame me by using social media. Even when an auto rickshaw driver was murdered, Muneer blamed me for the murder. He has been pestering me since I became the MLA. He has now become bolder and is trying to defame me in a big way. Let the police do the investigation and find out the truth.”
The minister’s PAs – Mohammed Libzat, Praveen Kumar and Vijay Kumar – met the police commissioner and explained the matter. Later in the evening, the three went to Kadri police station and filed a complaint against Muneer Katipalla.
Speaking to Mangalorean.com, PA Libzat said, “We did not interfere in connection with RTI activist Vinayak Baliga’s murder. Neither have we intervened in connection with the arrest of Naresh Shenoy nor has the minister interfered or called anyone in this regard. The jailor himself has denied the allegation of Muneer Katipalla and said that he did not receive any calls regarding Naresh Shenoy from any of the PAs of the minister. If Muneer is defaming us by such stories on the social media, he will be held responsible. Let him provide evidence and prove the calls.”