Skeletons from the past revisit Yeddy

Armed with information obtained under the RTI Act, S Sheshadri has raised many questions regarding a hasty investigation conducted by the police

Armed with information obtained under the RTI Act, S Sheshadri has raised many questions regarding a hasty investigation conducted by the police

While the two lawyers --Sirajin Basha, and K N Balaraj, are already giving nightmares to B S Yeddyurappa, another lawyer has surfaced to pull him to the court on murder charges. S Sheshadri, an advocate, has filed a criminal petition in the high court accusing Yeddyurappa of murdering his wife Maithradevi in 2004, when he was leader of Opposition in the assembly.

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While the case is pending for listing, Sheshadri said he would move a memo for posting next week. Interestingly, Sheshadri is also from Shimoga, home district of the CM, like Basha and Balaraj.

"If the court allows me, I can prove how Maithradevi was murdered," said Sheshadri. "I will keep on fighting for this, but I am not heard because the accused is influential and politically highly placed."

Maithradevi, Yeddyurappa's wife, had died on October 16, 2004, under mysterious circumstances at her Shimoga residence. Manjunath, a domestic help in the house, hadu00a0 lodged a complaint which said that she had slipped into a water tank in the front yard, and had drowned to death.

However, the swiftness shown by the family to dispose the body and the conduct of the police, gave rise to suspicion, and Sheshadri moved second JMFC (Judicial Magistrate First Class) in Shimoga on January 31, 2009, saying she was murdered, and named Yeddyurappa as the main accused.

The court directed the police for an investigation. But the report, which came, only helped the court to dismiss the case. Sheshadri's contempt petition and additional application seeking order for an enquiry were ignored. Sheshadri moved a revision petition at the District Session Court in Shimoga, but it was dismissed on November 21, 2010.u00a0u00a0

"I was not even given an opportunity then. I hope I will get justice this time," said Sheshadri. He said he had filed the petition in the high court on December 12, 2010, and would move the memo for posting in a couple of days.

H S Chandramouli, state public prosecutor, said, "I am yet to be served with the copy. Once it comes before me, I will take steps according to the law."

Sheshadri has cited many points to show there were loopholes in the police investigation. Information he has obtained under RTI Act shows the body was not photographed while doing mahajar and it was not sent for forensic lab (FSL) for test.

The postmortem was done hastily, and Sheshadri has cited that the body was not even wet, and the bangles on her hands were intact.

"According to the report, there were no injury marks on the body. The postmortem didn't mentioned the cause of the death clearly," said Sheshadri. "My prayer is that the case is reinvestigated and culprits be punished if it is proven to be a murder."

Just doing his duty?

>>According to the statement of the family members, Maithradevi died at 7.30 am, and the body was cremated at noon. Yeddyurappa attended an official meeting in the evening on the same day and claimed a TA (traveling allowance) of Rs 800.
>>According to the information obtained under the RTI Act, he visited a government office at 8.30 am, on 16 Oct 2004, in Shikaripura.
>>He had visited the same office on the same day at 6.30 pm, and claimed anu00a0 allowance of Rs 800.
>>Sheshadri suspects Yeddyurappa murdered his wife on October 15, 2004 night, and visited the office in the morning just to mislead the public.