The BJP-led Karnataka government on Friday withheld the appointment of Zamaal Azad Anniger, an accused in the Paresh Mesta murder case, to the Wakf board after its order drew condemnation by party activists and Hindu organisations. BJP workers and Hindu activists condemned the order appointing Zamaal Azad Annigeri to the post of Vice President for District Wakf Board. Zamaal is named as the main accused in the murder case of Paresh Mesta, who was found dead in 2017. Zamaal was arrested and released on bail. The Central Investigation Agency (CBI) is presently probing the case.
Withholding the appointment, the government said that the order was issued after public complaints. The party has already been facing backlash following the death of BJP Yuva Morcha activist Praveen Kumar Nettaru.
Paresh had disappeared following an incident of mob violence in Honnavar city on December 6, 2017. After two days, his body was found near a lake. It was alleged that Paresh was killed in the mob violence and assailants had dumped the body later. Though pro-Hindutva groups had claimed that his death was unnatural and that he was tortured before being killed, the police had categorically denied these allegations.
The BJP, which was in the opposition then, raked up the issue at the state level and carried out protests throughout the state. The incident of murder led to large-scale violence in Honnavar, Kumta and Sirsi towns. Rumours that he was allegedly tortured before his death spread and were also amplified by political leaders and MPs in Karnataka. A picture of Mesta's blackened face was widely circulated around the time. However, forensic experts had said that his face could just have decayed in the two days before he was found.
However, the police dismissed allegations of torture, and released a report from the forensic department as proof. The report by the forensic science expert ruled out external or internal injury and said that there were no signs of torture, strangulation or haemorrhage marks on the body. The report however mentioned two injuries, and that one could have been caused by blunt force.
Later, Paresh’s family as well as the BJP had demanded a CBI probe into the murder case, after which the then Congress government handed over the case to the CBI. The CBI is probing the case.
With IANS inputs