KALABURAGI: The personnel of Station Bazar police station in Kalaburagi city on Saturday registered an FIR against six persons, including Congress leader and former corporator Raju Kapanoor — who is said to be a follower of Kalaburagi district in-charge minister Priyank Kharge, on the basis of a complaint filed by Kalaburagi city unit BJP president Chandrakant Patil that he (Patil) and three others are facing death threats by Kapanoor and five others, who were named in the complaint.
The police registered the FIR following high drama, protests by BJP workers and alleged refusal by the police inspector to register the FIR. BJP activists, including Patil, Kalaburagi Rural MLA Basavaraj Mattimudu, BJP district spokesman Rajkumar Patil Telkur, former MLC Amaranth Patil and party district president (Rural) Shivaraj Patil Raddewadagi, put pressure on the police to register the FIR.
They went to the police station around 6.30 pm and filed the complaint against Kapanoor, his associates Nandkumar Nagabhujange, Gorakhanath Sajjan Chinchansoor, Pratapdheer Patil (Pappu Patil), Manoj Shejwal and Ramanagowda Patil.
Their complaint states that a contractor from Bidar, Sachin Panchal, who committed suicide on Thursday, had stated in his death note that he was facing pressure from Kapanoor and his followers to pay Rs 1 crore.
Panchal had also mentioned that Patil, Mattimudu, BJP leader Manikanth Rathod and pontiff of Karuneshwara Mutt of Andola Siddalinga Swamiji were facing death threats from the accused.
The BJP leaders alleged that the Station Bazar police station inspector made them wait for three hours, behaved rudely with them and refused to register the complaint. When the BJP leaders put pressure on him, the inspector gave an endorsement on the acknowledgement copy of the complaint stating that he would register the FIR after getting consent from the court.
The activists, who were angry with the inspector’s behaviour, gathered in large numbers at Jagat Circle in the heart of Kalaburagi city and protested by burning tyres and blocking traffic. Shivaraj Patil Raddewadagi, Basavaraj Mattimudu, Rajkumar Patil Telkur, Chandrakant Patil and others led the protest.
They submitted a memorandum to the Kalaburagi deputy commissioner, urging him to direct the police to register the FIR. They demanded that the police inspector be suspended for his behaviour against the BJP MLA. They also sought the resignation of Priyank Kharge, arguing that his followers would not have resorted to threats without his blessings.
Later, even as the activists were protesting, DCP Kanika Sakriwal arrived at the spot and handed over a copy of the FIR registered against the six persons. It is said that the FIR was registered after the police took permission from the court.