Pics: Spoorthi Ullal

Daijiworld Media Network – Mangaluru (ANK)

Mangaluru, Jun 30: “Dheeraj Jain, Mallik Jain and Uday Jain, who are the suspects in the Soujanya murder case have said that they are ready to come at Kanathur temple within 10 days to prove their innocence. They have challenged Mahesh Shetty Thimarodi to come to Kanathur temple,” said former MLA Abhayachandra Jain.

Addressing media here on Friday June 30, Dheeraj Jain said, “In the year 2014, January 19 was finalised as the date for us three come at Kanathur temple and also Thimarodi to come before the temple. Just a week before the date, we received a letter from the temple and due to some reason, the schedule was cancelled. Even then, we had come before the temple on the same date, but Thimarodi says that we did not appear. His intention was to only defame and spread misinformation about us in this case.

“Even this time, after 10 days, we are ready to come before the temple to prove our innocence and Thimarodi also should come before the temple,” he said.

Former MLA Abhayachandra Jain said, “Thimarodi is speaking very lightly about Dr Veerendra Heggade. Thimarodi had a bad name in Beltangady and also is a rowdy sheeter. He is misusing the family of Soujanya in order to make money. He is the remote control of Soujanya’s family. After the CBI court acquitted Santhosh Rao in the case, he is yet again eyeing to make money using the trio as a reason.

Dheeraj Jain said, “We had undergone every probe conducted by the CBI and the police. We were ready for another round of probe to prove our innocence. The additional sessions court (CBI special court) in November 2016 had summoned all three of us to appear before it to face trial in the case. The CBI and the police have interrogated us in every possible way.

“We still do not know how the three of us are connected to this case. We have undergone DNA test, blood test, brain mapping, lie detector and also all our call details have been cross-checked. Our names were first heard after a year of the incident. In March 2015, we underwent the tests at Chennai and Bengaluru as per the procedure of the court. The court also ordered that we are not required for further investigation. But in November 2016, the CBI special court summoned the three of us to appear before it to face trial in the case, saying that we are the accused in the case. In 2021, the state high court refused to order the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to reinvestigate the case of the death of Soujanya,” he said.

Mallik Jain and Uday Jain were also present.