BENGALURU: Home Minister Dr G Parameshwara on Sunday said the state government is considering handing over the Ballari violence case to the Criminal Investigation Department (CID). “There is a strong possibility of doing so. I will speak to the chief minister in this regard,” he told reporters here.
Parameshwara said firearms have been seized and sent for examination. “The ADGP has informed me that the bullet was fired from a private firearm, not police arms. A ballistic expert will determine from which firearm the bullet was fired. I have instructed the officials to submit their report, and the process is currently under way,” he said.
Asked about the BJP demanding to arrest the culprit, the home minister said this has to be done under the law. “It can be done only after an investigation. This is the procedure,’’ he said.
On MLA Janardhana Reddy writing to the government for Z security, Parameshwara said he has not received the letter yet. “We will take suitable action after investigation.”
Parameshwara said such a law and order situation happened only after Reddy entered Ballari. “This could be a coincidence, we do not know. We are investigating this as well,’’ he said. On Ballari Superintendent of Police Pavan Nejjur, who was suspended after the clash on charges of dereliction of duty, the HM said he is in Bengaluru now. He was hurt after the incident as he was transferred, Parameshwara said.
The clash erupted on January 1 evening when supporters of Congress Ballari City MLA Nara Bharath Reddy attempted to erect banners for unveiling of a Valmiki statue, near Janardhana Reddy’s Havambavi home, which his supporters opposed, leading to stone throwing and gunfire and the death of a Congress worker.
The police seized five firearms from two gunmen. A case was registered against 11 people, including Janardhan Reddy, his brother Somashekar Reddy and former minister B Sriramulu.
Ballari violence ‘small incident’, probe will unearth truth: Jarkiholi
Shivamogga: PWD Minister Satish Jarkiholi on Sunday termed the Ballari violence “a very small incident” that should not have happened. He said lapses in management had led to suspensions and that accountability would be fixed only after a police investigation. Jarkiholi said the situation there is now under control. “Only after the police inquiry will it be clear who is at fault,” he said, adding that there had been discussions on ordering a CID probe into the incident.