Probe into murder of Jain monk transferred to CBI: Siddaramaiah

Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Wednesday announced a Crime Investigation Department (CID) probe into the brutal murder of a Jain monk in Belagavi district that took place earlier this month. The Opposition in the state, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) along with a section of the Jain community had demanded the CBI launch an investigation into the matter.
“As the case is sensitive and following public requests, the investigation into this case will be transferred to CID,” CM Siddaramaiah said, while making a statement at the Vidhana Soudha in Bengaluru. The Chief Minister also shared additional details of the incident and probe so far. The Jain monk, Kamkumar Nandi Maharaj, from Nandi Parvat Ashram at Hirekodi village in the Chikkodi taluk was allegedly murdered.
Police say that his body was later dumped in a borewell pit at Khatakbhavi village in the Raibag taluk. So far, authorities have arrested one Narayana Basappa Madi and one Hassan Dalayath in connection with the case. The Opposition BJP had staged protests both inside and outside the Assembly building to demand that the investigation be transferred to the CBI probe and also petitioned the Karnataka Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot to do the same.
The chairman of the National Commission for Minorities had also recently written to CM Siddaramaiah, asking him to entrust the murder investigation to “a very senior officer” of the rank of Inspector General of Police, to “unearth the conspiracy” and arrest the “real criminals”.