11 people booked for RTI activist’s murder

According to police, Ramakrishna (33), a social worker, RTI activist and taluk unit president of the pro-Kannada organisation Karnataka Rakshana Vedike was hacked to death by the accused by inviting him for dinner at a dhaba in Hosakere on January 7.

Jagaluru police in Davanagere district registered an FIR against 11 persons, including a panchayat development officer (PDO) of the gram panchayat, on charges of murdering an RTI activist, officials said on Monday, adding that two among them have been arrested.

Jagaluru police registered an FIR against 11 persons, including a PDO of the gram panchayat, for murdering an RTI activist (Agencies/Representative use)

According to police, Ramakrishna (33), a social worker, RTI activist and taluk unit president of the pro-Kannada organisation Karnataka Rakshana Vedike was hacked to death by the accused by inviting him for dinner at a dhaba in Hosakere on January 7.

Ramakrishna, a native of Gowripura village in Jagalur taluk, was attacked by a group of miscreants with lethal weapons, killing him on the spot, police said.

Initially, officials said, police thought it was murder over a petty argument between friends. However, Ramakrishna’s family members staged a protest and denied taking his body, alleging it was murder over professional reasons.

Based on the complaint filed by the family, police registered FIR against Guttidurga PDO A T Nagaraj, his brother Prabhu, Arjun alias Prashant, Kumar, Dhanyakumar, Basavanagowda GC, Yogesh, Nagaraj Acharya, Lalithamma, Renukamma and Pramilamma. Upon questioning two suspects – Prashant and Yogesh -- they confessed to conspiring and murdering him. Police arrested both of them while all other accused absconded.

‘’My brother was fighting against corruption. He exposed irregularities in MNREGS of Guttidurga gram panchayat worth lakhs of rupees. After the corruption charges were proven, the zilla panchayat authorities suspended PDO A T Nagaraj,’’ sister of the deceased, Renuka, told reporters.

A few months back, Nagaraj’s brother Prabhu threatened Ramakrishna with dire consequences saying they would finish him if he continues to apply RTI applications, she added.

“We have arrested two accused, and police teams are searching for other accused and would arrest all the accused soon,‘’ Davanagere additional SP Kannika Sikhriwal said.