Jain monk murder: BJP demands CBI enquiry, Karnataka govt 'trusts police'

Jain monk Kamakumara Nandi Maharaj went missing on July 6 and was later found murdered over a financial dispute by one of his followers. The BJP has demanded a CBI enquiry whereas the Congress wants the state police to conduct the probe. Two accused have been arrested and it is said to be a financial dispute. The accused have been identified as Narayan Mali (A1) and Hassan Dalayath as (A2). Background of Jain Monk murder A Jain monk was murdered, his body chopped into pieces and dumped in a defunct borewell. The dismembered body of Kamakumara Nandi Maharaj, a renowned Jain monk who was missing since Thursday, was found in a defunct borewell in Belagavi's Raibag Taluk. A person identified as Narayan Maali, who was living with the monk in the ashram since the past few years, had allegedly killed the monk and cut his body into parts and had dumped it into a defunct borewell. Another accused Hussain had helped in transporting the dead body. The monk had lent Rs 6 lakh belonging to a charitable trust to the accused Narayan as assistance and had recently asked him to repay it. Unable to repay the money, Narayan allegedly killed the monk and disposed off the body 30km from the Ashram. The body of the monk was recovered after a 10-hour search operation. Timeline of Events July 6: Kamakumara Nandi Maharaj goes missing July 8: Complaint registered in the morning by ashram trustee July 8: Accused nabbed in the evening July 9: Cremation July 10: Protests across Karnataka Meanwhile, ruckus broke out in the Assembly session over the murder of the monk with Basavaraj Bommai demanding a CBI inquiry into it during the zero hour and questioning the Congress on the same with RDPR minister Priyank Kharge stating that the state police were more than capable to handle the inquiry. Siddu Savadi, a BJP MLA, made a controversial statement that ISIS was involved in it. "This murder is the work of terrorists as they have murdered the monk by electrocuting him. This work can only be done by terrorists from abroad. They used to kill scientists earlier and now they are targeting monks. The government should take this seriously as it is not the handiwork of only two people and this is the handiwork of ISIS terrorists." Hitting out at these allegations made by the BJP, Congress minister Priyank Kharge said, "The BJP is desperate to get back into the spotlight and they need something or the other. The Jain community themselves have come forward and said that the investigation is headed in the right direction and they are pleased with it. What's the problem of the BJP, we don't understand. If the honourable MLA has any information, he should share it with the investigation agencies and the Home department. If he is withholding any information, it will be considered as abetment to murder." There have been large scale protests held across the state of Karnataka by members of the Jain community demanding justice for the slain monk. Protests were held in Koppal, Belagavi, Chikkodi, Dharwad and Hassan.

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Jain monk murder: BJP demands CBI enquiry, Karnataka govt 'trusts police'

Jain monk Kamakumara Nandi Maharaj went missing on July 6 and was later found murdered over a financial dispute by one of his followers.

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