mangalore lawyer kashimji, hated by sangh parivar, killed (by police?)

The Hindu, April 11, 2009

Four police officers accused of murdering Mangalore lawyer

by Sudipto Mondal

The complaint will be looked into, says Deputy Inspector-General of
Police

[Photo] K. Purshotham Poojary (second from left) lodging a complaint with the Pandeshwar police in Mangalore on Friday in connection with the murder of lawyer Naushad Kashimji.

MANGALORE: The senior-most advocate in the Mangalore Bar Association K. Purushotham Poojary (85) lodged a complaint with the Pandeshwar police station here on Friday accusing four police officers of murdering human rights advocate Naushad Kashimji. Kashimji was found dead in the basement of an apartment here on Thursday.

Mr. Poojary, under whose guidance Kashimji was practising law for the last nine years, has accused Deputy Superintendent of Police Jayanth Shetty, District Crime Investigation Bureau Inspector Venkatesh Prasanna, Ullal Police Sub-Inspector H. Shivaprakash and Circle Inspector of Panambur Valentine D’Souza of having “orchestrated the killing of his junior”.

Deputy Inspector-General of Police Gopal B. Hosur told The Hindu that “due notice” of the complaint had been taken and the allegations would be inquired into.

Calling for a Central Bureau of Investigation probe into the death of Kashimji, Mr. Poojary has sent his complaint to the State Human Rights Commission, the Chairman of the Karnataka State Bar Council, the Chairman of the State Minorities Commission, and the Director-General and Inspector-General of Police.

Kashimji was defending alleged Chota Shakeel-aide Rasheed Malbari who was apprehended by a team led by the four police officers recently.

In his complaint, Mr. Poojary has alleged that a few hours before his (Kashimji) death, Kashimji was issued a “veiled threat by the four officers” at the district court complex after he finished arguing his case on behalf of Rasheed Malbari.

Claiming that the slain advocate had informed him of the threat, Mr. Poojary has alleged that the police officers told Kashimji, “If you argue against granting police custody (of Rasheed Malbari), you will have no more arguments in the future.”

Attributing the alleged murder to rivalry between him and the accused police officers, Mr. Poojary pointed out that Kashimji had argued several cases wherein these police officers had allegedly violated human rights or falsely implicated people in them.

Mr. Poojary has pointed out that Kashimji appeared against the same police officers on behalf of Atul Rao who, he believes, was falsely implicated in the murder of Padmapriya, wife of BJP MLA Raghupati Bhat.

He also appeared for 25 persons these police officers had rounded up in connection with the murder of BJP and Bajrang Dal leader Sukananda Shetty.

“My junior obtained bail for 13 of the 25 who were falsely implicated by these officers,” Mr. Poojary alleged.

Speaking to The Hindu at his residence, Mr. Poojary alleged that “Whenever Naushad [Kashimji] heard of a case of ‘custodial torture’ by the police, he would immediately appear on behalf of the victims… and in all the cases of this nature, he always came up against one of these four officers.” Mr. Poojary has alleged that these officers worked as “extended arms” of the Sangh Parivar and had been targeting minorities and human rights activists ever since the Janata Dal (Secular)-Bharatiya Janata Party alliance came to power in the State. “Naushad [Kashimji] was an ardent legal activist and an exponent in the study of human liberty. Not only was he my best junior and the most fearless young advocate here, he was also like a son to me,” Mr. Poojary said.

Describing the death of the lawyer as a “threat to the legal community”, Mr. Poojary said, “I will appear on behalf of Rasheed Malbari now. I have to honour the death of Naushad [Kashimji].”

He apprehended a threat to his life now that he has decided to take up the Rasheed Malbari case, Mr. Poojary said.