The murder of Acharya Sri Kamakumara Nandi Maharaj, a Jain monk from Hirekodi village in Chikkodi taluk, has ignited a political uproar in the state, with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) accusing the ruling Congress of conducting a biased investigation. The BJP is demanding a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into the case. Former Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai raised the issue in the Assembly, expressing concerns over the alleged cover-up of the murder motive and political pressure. Bommai insisted that if these allegations are not true, the Congress government should handover investigation to the CBI.
In response, the BJP has formed a fact-finding committee, led by state president Nalin Kumar Kateel, comprising 11 party leaders. The committee, which includes MLA Mangala Angadi, MLA Mahesh Tenginkai, MLA Abhay Patil, Iranna Kadadi, MLC Mahantesh Kavatagimath, among others, will visit the Jain monastery on July 11 and subsequently the murder site.
However, the Congress party maintains that a CBI investigation is unnecessary as the state police department is fully competent to handle the case. Home Minister G Parameshwara emphasised that the state police have already initiated an investigation, with two suspects arrested, and hence, there is no need for the CBI's involvement.
The accused in the murder case of the Jain seer have been remanded to police custody for seven days until July 17. The suspects, identified as Narayana Basappa Madi and Hassan Dalayath, allegedly committed the murder following a financial dispute. The body of Acharya Sri Kamakumara Nandi Maharaj was found on July 6 in an abandoned borewell in Hirekodi village, Belagavi district.
In a separate development, BJP MLA Siddu Savadi claimed that the terrorist organisation ISIS is responsible for the brutal murder. Savadi urged the government to treat the case with utmost seriousness and requested that it be handed over to the CBI. He stated, "The murder of the Jain monk was committed by ISIS. No Indians can commit such a brutal act. The government should give this case due consideration and involve the CBI in the investigation."