Daijiworld Media Network - Bengaluru (SP)

Bengaluru, Jun 28: The 65th additional sessions court here has absolved former police sub-inspector, Girish Mattnnavar, of the charges of planting bombs in MLAs hostel here. Mattannavar's name had hit the headlines 13 years back when he allegedly planted bombs in MLAs Hostel here. The court came to the conclusion of releasing Mattannavar of the charges after finding lack of evidences to prove the charges framed against him.

The judge also ordered release of other accused in the case, Guranna and A P Veeresh. Judge of the court, Channakeshava, who pronounced the order after the hearing which prolonged to 13 years, said that he arrived at the decision because of paucity of evidences and inability of the prosecution to prove the charges.

All the three named above were arrested by the police immediately after a bomb each was found in two washrooms of MLAs Hostel attacked to Vidhan Soudha on November 1, 2003. On that day, an anonymous caller had told Vidhan Soudha police station officials that bombs had been placed as a measure of fight against corruption. The police, based on the information provided by the owner of STD booth from where call was made, and also based on other clues, had arrested police sub-inspector from Dharwad, Girish Mattannavar, and his two accomplices. The accused had got bail on December 17 the same year.

Mattannavar, a 26-year-old police officer in 2003, who was dreaming of providing corruption-free service, had resorted to the above measure to create a sense of scare among politicians against doing wrong things, it was said then. He resigned from police service in 2004. He later joined the BJP and has been discharging various organizational responsibilities in that party since then.