Beltangady: My nephew has nothing to do with Sowjanya case - Dr Veerendra Heggade
Daijiworld Media Network – Beltangady
Beltangady, Oct 12: The sensational Sowjanya rape and murder case, which seemed to been stagnant for the past one year, has suddenly taken a new twist with the parents of the victim supported by some leaders making bold claims openly in the media.
The parents of the deceased girl have alleged that Dharmasthala Dharmadhikari Dr Veerendra Heggade's brother's son is directly responsible for the rape and murder of their daughter.
Sowjanya, second year PUC student of Sri Dharmasthala Manjunatheshwara college, Ujire was found raped and murdered in cold blood on October 10, 2012 about eight kilometers away from Dharmasthala. Her dead body was found by the villagers in a wooded area near her house. She was the daughter of a contractor.
Dr Veerendra Heggade has however claimed that his brother’s son is pursuing studies in the United States. “He was not in town when the incident took place. How then can he be involved in the crime?” he asked.
“He has nearly 30 to 40 years of life ahead of him. Will the allegation not spoil his career? I led a protest in front of Beltangady police station in this regard. We have records of the incident. I am willing to give them to the media. I also have a copy of my communication addressed to the home minister requesting him to hasten the investigation”, he said.
"This is a conspiracy by people who are jealous of the work and progress achieved by Shree Dharmasthala Kshetra," he said.
Sources said that Dr Heggade may even move court against Sowjanya's parents for trying to defame his family with what he called baseless allegations.
In a discussion programme on a news channel, Sowjanya's parents Chandappa Gowda and Kusumavathi claimed that influential people are trying to turn the direction of the investigation and urged the government to hand over the case to the CBI. Mahesh Shetty Thimarodi, local leader of a Hindu organization also joined the discussion in the TV channel and said that Santosh, a person of unsound mind had been arrested by the police alleging that he was the person was involved in the crime. Thimarodi on Friday October 11 had made the explosive claim before the media that powerful people and the land mafia were involved in the case.
Santosh was subjected to medical investigation in Mangalore and the police claim that the nail marks on the body of Sowjanya and his nail marks are identical. Two crimes including that of Sowjanya were reported during the month. A man of unsound mind and his sister were also done to death by hitting their heads with a boulder. The crimes had created an atmosphere of fear among the local people. The people had also complained of miscreants knocking at their doors at nights and making strange noises. The parents of Sowjanya had contacted Dr Veerendra Heggade soon after the crime and he had urged for a CBI enquiry in both the crimes then.
Sowjanya's parents have moreover said that a complaint was lodged with the investigating officers against Dheeraj Jain, Malik Jain and Udaya Jain soon after the crime. But the police officials succumbed to pressure and deviated from the investigation.
Mahesh Shetty Thimarodi alleged that hundreds of young girls died unnatural deaths in Dharmasthala during the last ten years and has urged the concerned to investigate the incidents. He added that as he has decided to protest against Sowjanya’s rape and murder, he may be murdered but he will continue to fight for justice. His protest will continue until the case is handed over to the CBI, he warned. He has alleged the witnesses are being silenced and college students are not being allowed to participate in protests.