Mangaluru: ISI Sleeper Cell Active in City – Umanath Kotian

Mangaluru: The Bharatiya Janata Party held a press meet at its office in Kodialbail here, on October 27.

Addressing the mediapersons, district BJP vice president Umanath Kotian said that since many months there have been continuous attacks on Hindu activists and leaders in DK district. “Many innocent youth have been murdered and some have been assaulted but the district minister in-charge has maintained silence which leads to suspicion. For example, in Moodbidri Prashant murder case, assault on Ashok Poojary and Yogish Acharya in Handelu and Permude Hindu activist murder attempt, the minister has remained silent.”

“In Moodbidri, flower vendor Prashant was brutally murdered but neither the police commissioner, district minister in-charge nor the local MLA and minister Abhaychandra Jain visited Prashant’s house to console his parents and sister. Why did the ministers or the officers not visit his house? Why did the district minister not instruct the police commissioner or the deputy commissioner to visit Prashant’s family?” he questioned.

He further said that a newspaper has already published that there is a connection with Dawood Ibrahim and ISI behind Prashant’s murder. He also said that the threat call from Ravi Poojary to minister Abhaychandra Jain is an attempt to divert attention from the Prashant Poojary murder case. “Abhayachandra Jain already has tight security but after the threat call, the security has been increased. What about Prashant Poojary? He was a common man. Doesn’t his life has any value? In the national media, Abhaychandra Jain’s photo appeared with the accused in Prashant’s murder. The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has reported that there is a ISI sleeper cell from Pakistan which is very active in Mangaluru. All the incidents that happened in Mangaluru have even been telecasted in Pakistan; this creates suspicion.”

The BJP demanded the resignation of Abhayachandra Jain and the case to be handed over to the CBI. “When Kalburgi was murdered, the case was handed over to CBI within 24 hours but Prashant’s murder case has not been given to CBI. In the Dadri incident, the government announced Rs 45 lakh compensation for the victim’s family. Likewise, the state government should announce a compensation of Rs 25 lakh to Prashant’s family.”

Umanath Kotian also demanded the state government to pay the hospital expenses of Rs 3 lakh to Ashok Poojary, who lost his hand in an attack, and that he should be given a government job. The threat call to Abhayachandra Jain should be investigated by the CBI through Interpol and the persons in contact with Ravi Poojary should be found out, he said.

“We will also meet the governor and handover a memorandum demanding the Prashant murder case to be handed over to the CBI,” he added.