By Newzfirst Correspondent1/12/13

 

Bangalore – Less than two months since the murder of an RTI activist from Bangalore, the state Saturday witnessed a brutal murder of another whistle-blower. This time Vasudeva Adiga hailing from coastal district of Udupi followed the fate of Lingaraju, who was allegedly murdered by the local corporator for exposing corruption last November.

The body of a missing RTI activist Vasudeva Adiga has been found in brutally murdered state on Saturday. Adiga, who hails from Vandaru village in Udupi district, had gone missing since Monday, 7 January.

The body has been found at Kadur of neighboring Chickmagalur district, about 225 kms from Udupi, with multiple injuries and its face smashed beyond recognition.

At the same time other whistle-blowers from Udupi district have alleged the involvement of local influential politicians, businessmen and top level government servants behind the murder. They have also demanded CBI enquiry into the murder.

Adiga had drawn the wrath of some local politicians and high-rank officers of the district for being very instrumental in exposing the corruption at various levels, said Shreeram Diwan, a journalist cum RTI activist.

Recently he had obtained some vital documents regarding alleged irregularities in much-delayed Varahi irrigation project, affairs of Mandarti temple and Nirmiti Kendra through RTI, he said.

While Varahi irrigation project has been delayed since three decades, Mandarti temple comes under Muzurai department of Government of Karnataka. The Nirmiti Kendra headed by the Deputy Commissioner of the district serves as a seminal agency to generate and propagate innovative ideas on housing and participates in tender of any government or private organization and executes the same in line with the objectives. It can undertake the government construction projects that cost less than 1 crore rupees.

“Adiga has been abducted and murdered after he determined to complain Lokayukta over misappropriation of public funds that run in multiple crores.” explained Diwan.

According to Diwan, Adiga had played crucial role in exposing huge irregularities by the stone quarries at Goliangadi recently. Following the complaints, the mining department had fined those companies upto Rs.4 crore.

“He even questioned the district authorities over granting permission to those blacklisted stone-quarries, which had not even paid the fine amount imposed by the department, to operate at other places.” he added.

Sources said that Adiga was approached by those officials, couple of days back to his abduction, for a compromise for which he did not budge. He was also threatened of dire consequences, the sources said.

Adiga went missing on the night of 7 January while he was returning to his home in 2-wheeler along-with some important documents obtained through RTI.  Family members found his deserted mobile, footwear, pen and two-wheeler on following day about 12kms away from his village, but not those documents he was carrying.