Daijiworld Media Network - Puttur (SP)

Puttur, Mar 9: The death of Shyamprasad Shastri from Badekkila in Kedila village about 18 months back at his home with a bullet fired from a gun, which was so far being projected as a case of suicide, has got an interesting twist. A private complaint now stands filed in the court here by Govinda Shastri, a close relative of Shyamprasad, alleging that it was not a case of suicide, and that the investigating officers are trying to give the case a decent burial.

Shyamprasad Shastri had died at his home on October 31, 2014 afternoon. It was alleged that he had received phone calls threatening him of dire consequences if he failed to support Sri Raghaveshwarateertha Swamiji of Ramachandrapur Math in a case of rape filed by Premalata Shastri, who happens to be the wife of his brother, Diwakar Shastri, and that this pressure had worked on his mind, ending in suicide.

Govinda Shastri has said that the documents prepared by the police during the spot inspection after Shyamprasad's death have provided enough proof to suggest that it was a pre-conceived murder plan. He has accused investigating officers of the state criminal investigation department (CID) of trying to shield the guilty since the beginning. He has requested the court to order re-investigation of the case and arrest of the culprits.

"Is it possible for a person to fire at his chest with a gun that is nearly four feet long? If not, when was the death note written? How could Shastri's son, who was not present at the time his father died, directly went into the kitchen and picked out the death note kept inside a box of sweets? If Shastri had fired at himself in the puja room, how was the gun found lying in the neighbouring store room? Why the time mentioned in the death note and the time arrived at by the hospital doctors do not tally?" Govinda Shastri wants to know.

Govinda has also pointed out that although Shyamprasad Shasri owned a licensed gun himself, he had allegedly used a gun owned by Diwakar Shastri, for which licence was issued in another taluk, to himself, duly wondering why would he use a loaded gun belonging to his brother instead of his own. He says that it is illegal to hand over licensed gun that too bearing licence of another taluk to another person, and for such offences, people have been arrested earlier wherever use of such guns resulted in injuries or deaths of human beings. He has questioned why Diwakar Shastri was not booked for this crime and not proceeded against. He has guessed that the policemen and CID officials would have been deterred by the thought of the real issues connected with rape case coming into the open if they pursued this case. He also has wondered whether a conspiracy has been hatched to shield Diwakar Shastri and his supporters.

Govinda Shastri has noted that blood on the spot had been completely wiped off by the time police reached the spot of death, and wants to know whether this did not tantamount to destruction of evidence. Pointing out that Shyamprasad Shastri would have been alive had Diwakar Shastri not handed over his gun to his brother, he has questioned why this was not treated as negligence and irresponsible behavior on the part of Diwakar Shastri under Arms Act.

The police, who had registered the case of suicide, had linked it to the rape case already registered by Diwakar Shastri's wife against Sri Raghaveshwarateertha Swamiji. As such, this case was also shifted to CID. The CID however, did not touch upon the above case in its charge sheet filed in a court at Bengaluru. This, Diwakar claims, has given rise to suspicion that influential persons have been working behind the scene to turn the case to serve their purpose, and in the bargain, they also would have destroyed important evidences.