UDUPI:Though police have arrested all 21 accused in the murder of Praveen Poojari, there is no clarity as to which organisation they belong to. Though Brahmavara police arrested the accused, the case has been transferred to Hebri police station in the jurisdiction of which the crime had taken place on August 17 night.
On August 18, Brahmavara police had suspected that the youths belonged to Hindu Janajagruthi Samithi, a newly formed vigilante group. However, Vijay Kumar, district coordinator of the Samithi clarified that none of the arrested is its member.
Karkala circle police inspector A Joy Antony said that he will receive the file pertaining to the case on Friday. “It is more about individuals that will be mentioned in the charge-sheet to be filed before the court. In case the organisation to which they claim to belong is not registered, it can not be mentioned’’ he said.
Meanwhile Prakash Kukkehalli, organising secretary of Hindu Jagarana Vedike (HJV) told Express that the outfit is not involved in the case. ‘’Only one arrested, Aravind Koteshwar, is a member of HJV. But he was not involved in the murder and he has been made a scapegoat due to a pressure from the Congress party’’ he alleged. HJV activists had protected cattle several times, but that was with the help of police, he said.
‘’In Praveen Poojari’s murder case, most of the arrested are innocent people. It was a murder for personal reason backed by political rivalry’’ he said.