RTI activist Baliga murder: Police have to probe financial and other links of suspects

Mangaluru, Apr 2: As the probe panned post RTI activist Vinayak Baliga's dastardly murder by the contract killers, the police have declared leader of Yuva Brigade, Naresh Shenoy, a prime suspect. However Naresh Shenoy, according to the police is in hiding and the man hunt is on.

Major angle, on the grounds of police suspecting Shenoy's alleged involvement in the Supari killing, emanating is the financial angle. At this juncture the cops have to put extra brain to investigate the inter financial links of Naresh Shenoy and other suspects involved in the case.

The police have so far established that, a person named Giridhar Shetty, a chartered accountant, Vignesh, Shailesh, Shrikanth, Shiva aka Shivu and an individual from North India who run a jewellery shop in Mangaluru are suspected to be involved in the case and are absonding. The police have also taken the custody of Babu, who was active Bajrang Dal activist apart from nabbing two accused in the case.

Besides looking into links existing between all these, the police also have to exhaustively probe financial transaction by hand or through banking held among these. In the case of Naresh Shenoy, the investigators must deliberate on financial statement of five years period of his, as RTI activist Baliga had alleged about misappropriation of funds of popular Venkataramana temple of Mangaluru.

Shenoy is said to be pivotal to the state of affairs of this temple and his involvement in the alleged swindling of fund cannot be ruled out. The police sources say that two accused (Vineeth Poojary and Nishith Devadiga) who executed the very act of crime or Supari killers revealed that Rs 13,000 each paid by Shrikanth, Shiva and Shailesh to them to carry out the murder.

But, highly placed sources informed OneIndia, its the Supari killing to the tune of Rs 30 lakhs. The police have to crack as to from where the money has been sourced and what happened to other left out amount, if the executers of the slay were paid only Rs 13,000.

The cops also needs to solve the puzzle of what kind of relationship have been established between builder Giridhar Shetty, chartered accountant who is close to temple, Naresh Shenoy and the owner of a Jewellery. The picture at this level is clear on Shrikanth, Shailesh and Vignesh. According to reliable sources, Shrikanth is an employee of Naresh Shenoy. "Shrikanth looks after a resort of Naresh Shenoy located in Mulky of Dakshina Kannada", a source specifically informed.

On the other hand, Vignesh is also an employee of Naresh Shenoy, while the exact role assigned to him by Shenoy is not known yet. Shailesh, another suspect is a former driver of a 'political leader' affiliated to 'BJP' and is currently the driver of Naresh Shenoy.

Shiva is a friend of Shrikanth and their root of friendship goes back to days during activism in Bajrang Dal. It has to be noted that all- Vineeth, Nishith, Shailesh, Vignesh and Shrikanth, Babu were active members of Bajrang Dal.

OneIndia News