BENGALURU: Former Supreme Court Judge Justice V Gopala Gowda said on Monday that leaking the statement of the witness compromises his safety and jeopardizes the investigation into the alleged rape and murder of numerous people in Dharmasthala.
This leads to serious doubts over the conduct of the investigating officers, he told reporters here.
Justice Gopala Gowda urged the state government to immediately arrest all individuals involved in the alleged crimes and subject them to custodial interrogation.
A Special Investigation Team (SIT) should be formed to probe the alleged crimes. The SIT should be monitored by an officer of the rank of Additional Director General of Police (ADGP) and a sitting or retired judge of the Supreme Court or the High Court of Karnataka, he said, citing the slow progress in the investigation.
He said, “We are deeply concerned by the manner in which the investigation is being handled, despite a witness and complainant coming forward. Why is there no progress? Why is action not being taken against the names mentioned in the confessional statement? What is happening?”
He said immediate police protection should be provided to the eyewitness, who has already made a confessional statement, a legally valid and significant piece of evidence. Despite the gravity of the situation, the witness remains vulnerable and unprotected, he added. On possible involvement of high-profile individuals, he said if it was a regular murder case, arrests and custodial interrogations would have happened. Investigations would have been progressing in the right direction. The delay over the past three weeks suggests the presence of some strong vested interests.
Advocates, who were present, sought immediate action, including formation of SIT, deployment of a dedicated forensic science team, and video recording of the investigation to ensure transparency and accountability.