MANGALURU: Activist Prasanna Ravi from Mangaluru on Saturday met Special Investigation Team (SIT) officials and sought protection to the witness-complainant after the investigation into the alleged mass burial case is complete as she claimed that he is a key witness in the Sowjanya rape and murder case.
She said, “Sowjanya’s mother Kusumavathi in her complaint to SIT has mentioned about the witness-complainant and his claims about Ravi Poojary.
Evidence in the Sowjanya case has been destroyed and some witnesses have died. I have given the names of a few others linked to the case who have died (mysteriously). The witness-complainant should not meet the same fate,” she claimed.
“The witness-complainant has claimed that Ravi Poojary was killed because he knew about the Sowjanya case. Let that angle be probed too. I had earlier appealed to the then state government to form an acquittal committee and punish officers who were at fault in investigating the Sowjanya case as directed by the CBI court.
But it is still pending. If an acquittal committee is formed, the then investigating officer and other officials can be interrogated and we can have information on who destroyed evidence. I am confident CM Siddaramaiah will accept our demands. When the CBI court itself has given a report against officials who were at fault in the Sowjanya case, why can’t we talk against them,” she asked.
Ravi said she will file a complaint with the Belthangady police against those defaming Sowjanya’s mother Kusumavathi. “DK SP Dr Arun K has said he will take action. I complained to the National Human Rights Commission when they visited here.”