Udupi: Adi Udupi Nude Parade Case - Fast Track Court Acquits All Accused
Pics: Hemnath Padubidri
Daijiworld Media Network - Udupi (MM/RD)
Udupi, Jul 29: The fast track court here on Tuesday July 29, acquitted all 12 persons accused of parading two persons naked at Adi Udupi three years ago.
A total of 13 persons were named as accused in this case and one among them was Manoj Shetty who died recently in an accident. Town council member Yashpal Suvarna, Kantu Poojary, Satish, Ram Bhat, Jayanth Shetty, Dharmakumar, Jayprakash, Prashanth, Ashok, Bheem, Suresh and Vinayprakash were the other persons against whom the allegations were made. The court has ruled out the charges against the twelve citing that prosecution failed to produce enough proof against the accused.
A group of activists of local Hindu organization had paraded Hajabba and Hasanabba naked in Adi Udupi in connection with an alleged cattle running case. The incident had attracted even the national media and the issue was taken up by human rights organizations too. Vidhana Soudha’s corridors too were the witnesses for some hot debating over this shameful act. Accordingly after state-wide protests and agitations a case was filed against Yashpal Suvarna and others in the Malpe police station in this regard.
Finally a chargesheet was filed in the court and the process was taken up by the fast track court. Yashpal Suvarna who had been named as the prime suspect was later even nominated member of town council by the BJP-JD (S) government. With this it was widely believed that he and all those who were named accused in the case will get out scot-free. It has been proved quite right today.
Though the Court has said that prosecution failed to produce enough proof to establish the crime, it was only expected after certain proof such as negatives of the photo clicked by a photographer etc were not produced in the court at all, said a local social activist here while speaking to this correspondent. "Justice was the last thing expected in this case after Yashpal Suvarna was appointed member of the town council even when a criminal case was pending against him. So how can you expect that such a system and administration would ever stand by the victims," he questioned.
Meanwhile local Hindu Yuva Sena activists took out a victory procession from the court premises as soon as the court pronounced the judgement on Tuesday. They shouted victory slogans during the procession as they marched ahead towards Gandhi Katte.