Daijiworld Media Network –Mangaluru (DV)
Mangaluru, Jul 12: In an exclusive interview to Daijiworld on its programme 'Counter Point', Mahesh Shetty Thimarodi speaks on the rape and murder of 17-year-old PU student Soujanya in 2012 near Nethravathi of Dharmasthala. Mahesh Shetty has launched an agitation to provide justice to Soujanya by joining hands with like-minded organisations who wish to take the stir to the state-level against Soujanya’s rape and murder.
He alleges that such kinds of crime are common on the outskirts of Dharmasthala. He says the administrative heads of the temple are not acting according to the constitution but are instead acting differently. He insists that even common people know the fact about what was happening there.
Mahesh says when the mortal remains of Soujanya were found in the area, it had led to several suspicions. He claims that when Soujanya was brutally killed and her mortal remains were found a local guy had called him to talk to him pertaining to the matter. Mahesh Thimarodi had stated that he had refused to get involved in that matter saying that the deities of Dharmasthala will provide justice.
Mahesh claims that after Soujanya went missing, police inspector Sudarshan had invited him for help as Sudarshan had assaulted Keshava a youth from the SC community who was admitted to a hospital.
"When I reached Beltangady to help the inspector there were a lot of people gathered around the police station. Police officials who were in the station requested me to disperse the crowd. But, I told them it was not my job and will not enter into this matter. But, assistant superintendent of police who was in the station requested me to disperse the crowd. There was a angry mob demanding the police officials to trace and arrest the culprits behind the rape and murder of Soujanya. After a request from a senior police official I went there and consoled the angry mob and gave an assurance to them of providing justice to Soujanya,” says Mahesh.
“When I was returning home and I was around 200 kilometers away from home, inspector Sudarshan called me and informed me that the Superintendent of Police (SP) had told him to register a case against me. The inspector also said that he was under pressure from 'Doddavaru' (tycoon). After this, they registered a case against me under some bailable offence. When I questioned the inspector he informed me that there was pressure from the big people of Dharmasthala. Then they started to think why these 'big people' should get involved in this matter. From then I decided to get involved in this agitation,” he says.
Mahesh says a few days after this incident he had received a phone call from a police official asking him to immediately escape from his residence because the SP along with another inspector were on their way to his residence for an encounter.
Mahesh claims that if the so-called big people had not dragged into this case he would not have entered into it and the agitation because the police department, political leaders and various departments had joined hands with the ‘big people’.
He also questioned why did the BJP leaders belonging to the Vokkaliga community, who came to Dharmasthala, did not enter Soujanya's residence?
Mahesh said there are several witnesses who saw the accused before committing the crime. He slammed the investigating officer Yogish Kumar for allegedly tampering with evidences.
On why Mahesh did not he attend the 'truth test' in Kanathoor, he said that he would not go for the truth trust along with the accused. “Why cannot a truth test be done in Dharmasthala in front of Manjunatha Swamy?” he asked.
Former minister Abhayachandra Jain along with others had alleged that Mahesh Shetty had made political capital and got money from Soujany's agitation. Mahesh Shetty refutes the charge and says who had taken and given the money.
Mahesh also demanded that a special team should be constituted to investigate the involvement of the investigating officer (IO) in the case.
Watch full interview: