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Slain BJP worker’s kin denies cattle trafficking charge

 Two days after Praveen Poojary, a BJP worker, was killed by Hindu Jagarana Vedike members while transporting cattle on Thursday,  the family of the victim has denied the charge that he (Poojary) was involved in cattle trafficking.

Prameela Poojary, the sister of the Praveen, told media persons on Friday that her brother was never involved in cattle trafficking. “If that was the case, we would have been rich years ago itself. The people whom he believed stabbed him in the back,” she said. She claimed that the people who did not tolerate her brother’s popularity in the village were behind his murder.

Praveen’s father Vasu Poojary said that his (Praveen’s) friends were the main culprits. “He trusted people too much. They cheated him,” he said.

Udupi district BJP president Matter Ratnakar Hegde said he personally believed that Praveen had been murdered for “personal reasons.” Former district BJP president, Tingalay Vikramarjuna Hegde, said that the murder had nothing do with the party. He said that people who brand themselves as cattle protectors were no way connected with the party.

However, Superintendent of Police K T Balakrishna told DH that according to the preliminary investigation, Poojary was killed over cattle trafficking. “The suspects claim that they murdered Poojary as he was transporting cattle. But, it is yet to be ascertained whether the he was done to death owing to personal enmity,”  the SP said.

Poojary, 29, was bludgeoned to death by a gang while transporting cattle in his mini truck at Kenjur in Brahmavar of Udupi district on Wednesday night. His friend, Akshay Devadiga, was injured in the murderous attack and he is under treatment in a private hospital in Brahmavar.

Akshay Devadiga, who spoke to media persons, said that a gang of around 25 men attacked him and Praveen with iron rods when the vehicle by which they were transporting calves stopped near Muddur. Ramesh, the person who had hired the vehicle, fled the spot as soon as the gang struck them, Devadiga said.

“We were dumped along with the calves in the truck. I lost consciousness after the attack and when I regained senses, I heard Praveen screaming for water. The assailants told him to drink rain water and die. Later, some local people, who arrived at the spot, threw a water bottle at him. I put a few drops of water into his mouth. The police shifted us to a hospital,” he recalled.

A local court in Udupi has remanded 18 suspects arrested on Thursday in connection with the murder in judicial custody till August 30. The other seven suspects, who were produced before the magistrate at his house on Friday evening, were sent to judicial custody till August 31.

‘Cow vigilantes into beef trade’

Congress MLC Ivan D’Souza has said that people claiming themselves as protectors of cows were involved in beef export business, reports DHNS from Bengaluru.

“Beef export is a Rs 480-crore business in India. Those who are claiming to be the protectors of cows are involved in beef export business. In many instances, rescued cows have ended up in slaughterhouses,” the MLC told media persons on Friday.

Praveen Poojary murder: Billava Assn, CPM urge police to bring culprits to book

The murder of BJP activist Praveen Poojary reportedly by Hindu Jagarana Vedike activists has received criticism from various sections in the society, including Hindu organisations.

Billava Association demanded justice and also compensation to the family members of Praveen as he was the sole bread earner in the family. Speaking to media persons, Association Brahmavara President A Bhaskar Poojary said Praveen was a good hearted human being and helped those in need.

“Praveen worked as the joint secretary of the association and this tragedy has brought misery. It is an unexpected incident and one cannot imagine that a good human being like Praveen is murdered. The police should unearth the reason soon,” he demanded.

He said the people who tortured him to death should be punished severly. The police should work without succumbing to any pressure from any political party, he said and urged the government to announce a suitable compensation package for the family, which is shattered following the incident.

Bhaskar said the youths in the area into the violence following the setting up of some fundamentalist modules. He reiterated that the government should direct the police officials to work effectively and take action against the people who take law into their hands, especially in the villages, which are becoming hubs of violence due to the people who act as the protectors themselves.

CPM protest rally

Meanwhile, CPM staged a protest rally demanding justice to Praveen’s family. Party leader K Shankar said the increasing number of fake cattle protectors has resulted in the brutal bloodshed.

He stated that two murders --- in a span of 15 days --- have shocked the whole state. The - back-to-back murders exemplify the inability of the police and also the ineffectiveness of the administration. The police should immediately take up stringent measures to avert the disastrous consequences, he demanded.

Shankar said the police should collect strong evidences against the suspects. The fundamental organisations that are into the vicious criminal activities have taken law into the hands. The minorities and Dalits were targeted initially. However, the BJP men who jumped to the streets to condemn the suicides of bureaucrat D K Ravi and DySP M K Ganapathi are now mum when their own man is hacked to death, he criticised.

In the name of protecting the cattle, the Sangh Parivar members are into the violence, he criticised.