BENGALURU: The National Commission for Minorities (NCM) has appealed to CM Siddaramaiah to entrust the investigation of the murder of the Jain monk, Kamkumar Nandi, in Belagavi district to an officer of the rank of Inspector General of Police, to unearth the conspiracy and arrest the “real criminals”. In a letter to the CM, NCM Chairman Iqbal Singh Lalpura stated that the senior officer probing the case should be directed to keep the NCM informed about the progress of the investigation every fortnight.
“On July 8, 2023, it was reported that the monk was brutally murdered, by giving electric shock, and thereafter his dead body was mutilated and inserted into a borewell in Kankanwadi, which was later recovered by the police. Such a brutal murder of a Jain saint has created an atmosphere of fear and insecurity in the Jain community,” the NCW chairman stated.
Lalpura said that across the country, the Jain community has approached the NCM, voicing concerns and seeking a thorough probe, and to ensure security for minorities in Karnataka. “It has also been learnt that 2 persons were arrested and the accused are pleading that the motive behind the murder was for some monetary transactions. Apparently, the investigation seems to be an effort to make it a case of simple crime for ransom or valuable property.
It is an established fact that Jain sadhus do not keep any valuables or such things in their temples. So the question of committing crime for pecuniary gains seems to be very remote,” he said, adding that “the money and other valuable items could have only been in the ashram, but there was no reason to kidnap and kill the saint. Hence, there seems to be a conspiracy to eliminate Jain sadhus”.