MANGALURU: Former minister and senior Congress leader B Ramanath Rai on Thursday said a delegation of Congress leaders will meet Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and urge him to form a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe the lynching of a migrant worker by a mob at Kudupu in Mangaluru, along with other targeted killings in the district.
Speaking to reporters in Mangaluru, Rai said, “Mob lynching is a heinous crime that happened in Mangaluru and has brought a bad name to the district. His religion or caste is not important here, but a human being is lynched, which is condemnable. Several targeted killings have happened in Dakshina Kannada in the past and innocent people have died, but so far not a single accused, or the conspirators, have been punished in those cases. In this mob lynching case also, an SIT needs to be formed to ensure the perpetrators get stringent punishment and such heinous crimes do not repeat in our district,” he demanded.
Regarding allegations of pro-Pakistan slogans being raised, Rai said only the person who was murdered, the murderers or the eyewitnesses can reveal whether such a slogan was raised or what triggered the incident.
“A thorough probe and questioning of the accused and witnesses will reveal the truth. There has been a delay initially on the part of the police. The Home Minister might have given the statement based on inputs given by the local police here. The state government under Siddaramaiah is investigating the case efficiently. We urge the government to take the mob lynching, which is the first in the district, seriously. The government also must appoint efficient officers in a communally sensitive district like Dakshina Kannada,” he urged.