MANGALURU: The report of the Bengaluru-based Forensic Science Laboratory DNA centre, submitted to the additional district and sessions court in Kundapur a week ago, has thrown up clinching evidence to nail the accused involved in the sensational kidnap and murder of RTI activist Vasudeva Adiga.
Kota block Congress member Adiga had made many enemies by collecting information about influential people, including officials, under the RTI.
On the night of January 7, 2013, Adiga went missing and his body was found five days later at Madagade lake near Kadur in Chikkamagaluru district. As the body was tied down with a stone weighing over 20 kg, divers had tough time retrieving the body from the lake.
Initially, police were clueless about the identities of those responsible for the murder. Meticulous investigations helped police track down the vehicle used for kidnapping and murdering Adiga, to Bengaluru.
Umesh, Subramanya Udupa, Naveen, Mohan Kumar, K S Raghavendra, Ravichandra and Vijayasarathi were arrested and they reportedly confessed to police of having murdered Adiga at the behest of astrologer Ramesh Bayari.
Following a land dispute, Bayari had allegedly hatched a conspiracy with his brother-in-law Subramanya Udupa and ardent follower Umesh, to eliminate his neighbour Adiga.
Investigators felt a DNA report would be a crucial evidence in the sensational case, and collected blood samples from Adiga’s mother Shringeshwari Adiga, on March 5, 2013, and dispatched it to the Forensic Science Laboratory in Bengaluru the same day.
The seven-page report submitted by the DNA centre has found that the DNA profile of pieces of the liver and kidney of Adiga were identical and matched the DNA profile of blood stains detected on the velvet mat of the vehicle suspected to have been used in the murder.
With the DNA profile of Adiga matching that of Shringeshwari Adiga, it was also proved that the latter was the biological mother. From the chemical examination, it was proved that the blood stains and hair found on the velvet mat were of a man.
Buoyed by the report, investigators and the prosecution feel the DNA samples will strengthen the case.
All the accused including astrologer Ramesh Bayari have succeded in securing bail.