Police scramble for corroborative evidence; will now book tabloid editor under Wildlife Act

Bengaluru: It appears like more trouble is brewing for Ravi Belagere, journalist and editor of ‘Hai Bangalore’  Kannada weekly tabloid, with another arrest warrant being issued against him in connection with a seven-year-old case.  Belagere, who has been granted interim bail, is still undergoing treatment at a hospital.

He has been shifted to Jayadeva Hospital, as he is suffering from severe chest pain. The doctors have reportedly advised him to be in the hospital till he recovers and are monitoring his health parameters.

It is learnt that once the interim bail conditions are fulfilled, he could be allowed to go home if the doctors decide to discharge him.

In another development, a city Court has reportedly issued an arrest warrant against Belagere yesterday in connection with a defamation case that was filed seven years ago. His tabloid had carried a defamatory article about the wife of a Kannada film actor, which allegedly led to differences between the couple.

The woman had filed a complaint in this regard. Hearing the case, a city Sessions Court has issued an arrest warrant against Belagere.  Meanwhile, the hearing of Belagere’s bail application will come up in the Sessions Court on Dec. 16 (tomorrow).

SCRAMBLING FOR EVIDENCE

If Police sources are to be believed, the Central Crime Branch (CCB) is scrambling for corroborative evidence to backup the confession made by a hitman who was allegedly hired by Ravi Belagere to kill Sunil Heggaravalli, his employee.

Sources said that the case against Belagere, in its present state, will not stand in the Court of law and the Police are now trying to book him under Wildlife Act as a deer pelt (with a bullet mark) and a tortoise shell (from South Africa) were recovered from his house.

“There is no material in the case. Fantasies have been cooked up to arrest him,” said his lawyer K. Diwakar.

The case against Belagere hinges on the statement of Shashi Mundawadagi, the shooter from Vijayapura. The Police have alleged that the editor hired his services after paying him Rs. 15,000 as advance and “untold wealth” upon completion of the job.

Now, sources said that Mundawadagi has changed his statement and apparently told the Police that while he has known Belagere for a while now, the latter had not asked him to kill anyone. Belagere was arrested based on Mundawadagi’s statement. Now with the sharp shooter changing his statement, the Police are in a fix.

Joint Commissioner of Police (Crime) N. Sateesh Kumar refused to comment on Mundawadagi’s statement but said that the Police will take legal opinion and decide the further course of action as per the advice.

The Police are now hoping to catch Viju Badiger and make him an approver in the case. When Belagere was arrested, the Police said that Mundawadagi had told them he took the killing contract from Belagere on the condition that he would take care of the planning and his brother-in-law, Viju Badiger, would carry out the execution.

Badiger is on the run and the Police have sent teams to Vijayapura to trace him.