Seer of Kashi mutt named in Baliga murder case’s witness deposition
Mangaluru
The seer of the Kashi Mutt, Srimad Samyamendra Thirtha Swamiji, was part of the Venkataramana Temple committee when alleged financial irregularities linked to its accounts became a point of contention, according to the deposition of a prosecution witness in the murder case of activist Vinayak Baliga.
Baliga was brutally murdered outside his residence at Kodialbail on March 21, 2016. Following the investigation, police filed a chargesheet against Naresh Shenoy, Shrikanth, Shivaprasad, Vinit Poojary, Nishit Devadiga, Shailesh and Manjunath Shenoy. The trial is currently under way, and the accused are out on bail.
The witness alleged that fears of the irregularities being exposed during a court-ordered re-audit were a key motive behind Baliga’s murder. The blrpost.com has accessed this document.
In the witness’s deposition in Case No. 143/2017, it was alleged that the first accused, Naresh Shenoy, was a member of the temple committee and was aware of its financial affairs. The seer of the Kashi Mutt, Srimad Samyamendra Thirtha Swamiji, was also a part of the same committee, the witness told the court.
According to the deposition, Baliga’s family had taken steps to have the temple accounts audited and approached the court against Shenoy and chartered accountant Jagannath Kamath in connection with the issue. The court subsequently granted permission for a reaudit, the witness said.
The temple records were scheduled to be taken up for reaudit on April 2, 2016. The witness alleged that Shenoy feared the exercise would expose financial irregularities and, therefore, allegedly orchestrated Baliga’s murder through the other accused.
The witness specifically alleged that Shenoy instructed his associates, including the sixth accused, Shailesh, and the third accused, Shivaprasad, to carry out the murder.
“I came to know that Naresh Shenoy got my brother murdered through his employees Shailesh and Shivaprasad,” the witness stated in the deposition.
The witness further told the court that, after learning about the alleged conspiracy, she submitted a complaint to the Police Commissioner.