Daijiworld Media Network - Mangaluru (SP)

Mangaluru, Jul 22: As per information received, the union government is preparing to hand over murder case of Sharath Madiwala from B C Road, a Rashtriya Swayamsevk Sangh activist, to National Investigation Agency (NIA). In all likelihood, the order will come out within two to three days, and Kochi unit of NIA might be entrusted with this investigation.

Recently, MPs Shobha Karandlaje and Nalin Kumar Kateel, had met union home minister, Rajnath Singh, and sought NIA probe into this murder. It is said that the central government has taken serious view of Hindu youngsters being slain in coastal Karnataka, and decided therefore to entrust this case to NIA. NIA is learnt to be having the powers to take up investigation on its own without the recommendation of the state government and it has investigated such cases in the past.

Union minister D V Sadananda Gowda said that as per the current indications, there is a bright chance of this case being handed over to NIA.

BJP leaders have expressed suspicion that murders taking place in Dakshina Kannada and incidents of inciting of communal violence here are the handiwork of forces connected with terrorist activities. The party leaders had urged the central government to investigate this link. As NIA does not have a branch in the city, in all likelihood, Kochi unit will take over this investigation. Kochi unit of NIA had undertaken investigation into terrorist activities here in the past.

Sharath, who was attacked by motor bike-borne people on July 4 when he was closing his laundry at night, had died in a private hospital in the city on July 6. Although top police officers including director general of police Rupak Kumar Dutta and additional director general of police Alok Mohan had visited the town and formed six teams to investigate the murder, no breakthrough has been achieved so far.