Ex Bombay HC judge writes to chief justice calling for a re-investigation of Mangaluru pub attack case

Bengaluru/Mangaluru: Ex Bombay High Court judge Michael F Saldanha has composed an open letter to Chief Justice of India Dipak Misra, calling the investigation into the 2009 Mangaluru bar assault “tainted”. He has requested that he pass a suo-moto order for a period bound re-investigation. 

In January 2009, many activists allegedly belonging to the Sri Ram Sene, a Hindutva furnish in Karnataka, assaulted ladies at a pub in Mangaluru asserting they had been damaging traditional Indian esteems. On March 12, the court acquitted every one of the 31 accused in the case, including Sri Ram Sene chief Pramod Muthalik. 

In his letter dated March 22, Judge Michael F Saldanha said he had kept in touch with the chief justice in the interest of each one of the individuals who were attacked and harmed by the quittance of the case. Saldanha said the police and the prosecution ought to have sought after the case “ruthlesssly”, and that a minor interest would be inadequate. 

“The whole investigation is tainted, where the case is led by a similar prosecutor who delivered beside no proof, and where the court is directed by a passive judge who does not utilize the law offered forces to guarantee that there is death of justice,” the ex Bombay High Court judge said. 

Notwithstanding a re-investigation, Saldanha requested that the principle judge of Mangaluru be requested to investigate why the trial continued for a long time. He additionally said that the Karnataka government’s Law Department ought to be coordinated to present an answer to the High Court on why people in general prosecutor had neglected to submit evidence in the case, including the videos of the assault. 

Saldanha likewise said that Karnataka Director General of Police Neelamani Raju ought to present an answer to the High Court on the investigator and cops responsible for failure of justice in the case.