Daijiworld Media Network - Udupi (SP/HB)
Udupi, Nov 16: Suspected naxal activist, Neelaguli Padmabha, appeared in the district and sessions court here for trial relating to the murder of Bhoja Shetty near his home, on Wednesday November 15.
Reportedly, naxals, who suspected that Bhoja Shetty functioned as a police informer about their movements, had fired at and killed Bhoja Shetty and Suresh Shetty at Seethanadi, Hebri, on May 15, 2008. The police had named 11 persons as accused in the case and filed charge sheet in the court.
Sessions judge, T Venkatesh Naik, who conducted hearing of the case on Wednesday, fixed the next day of hearing in the case as January 5. The police were unable to produce other accused like Ishwar alias Vajramuni who is currently lodged in Coimbatore jail and Ramesh from Bengaluru on account of technical reasons. Senior criminal lawyer, M Shantharam Shetty, appeared on behalf of the accused.
Speaking to media persons in the court premises, Neelaguli Padmanabha accused both central and state governments of failing to undertake any programmes to help out exploited class and charging the governments of gaining satisfaction by just projecting themselves to be the sympathizers of the deprived. He noted that governments have failed properly respond to right on land, and in case of murder of rationalists, state government has failed to act on time.
"I face 14 cases. I have been involved with pro-people agitations since the 90s. Out of them, five cases are in Udupi, in which I have been acquitted in one. In all the cases, false cases have been hoisted by the police and I have been acquitted in one of these cases. I have faith in the judiciary and confident that I will be declare innocent," he said.
In Bhoja Shetty murder case, out of 11 accused, main accused, Manohar and Vasanth had died in police encounter while Veeramani and Ramesh are in judicial custody. Sanjeev surrendered but escaped thereafter. B J Krishnamurthy too has absconded. Devendra, Nandakumar, Asha and Chandrashekhar Gorabal have been acquitted. Neelaguli Padmanabha,who was brought to mainstream of the society on November 14, 2016 with the efforts of activists including Gauri Lankesh was in jail for ten months before he secured bail a couple of months back.