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Former Karnataka Chief Minister and MP Basavaraj Bommai said on Saturday that there was a lapse by the police in the Swati Byadgi murder case and that only a thorough investigation would bring out the truth.
Bommai was speaking to reporters after visiting Swati's residence in Masoor village here. Swati, who worked as a nurse at a hospital in Ranebennur, had been reported missing at the Hirekerur police station on March 3. Her body was discovered on March 6 near the Tungabhadra River in the Fatehpur village of Ranebennur Taluk, Haveri District. Bommai said that young girls are being misled and trapped through various temptations, only to be abandoned later. "The police claimed that they found the body three days later, but they only intensified their probe after Swati's mother provided a phone number. This indicates a lapse on the part of the police. When a missing person complaint is filed, the information is usually shared with nearby police stations, but in this case, that did not happen, raising several suspicions," Bommai said. The former CM said that multiple people seem to be involved, and only a full investigation will reveal the truth. While this case initially appears to be a love affair, a proper investigation following that lead is necessary to uncover the facts, he said. Asked about law and order, Bommai criticised the current state of affairs, saying, "Deterioration of law and order is not a small issue; there is no law and order at all. There is no fear of the law, no fear of the police. Such incidents were unheard of in rural areas, but now they are happening there too. This shows that the perpetrators have no fear whatsoever." Initially, Halegari Police treated the case as an unidentified body and conducted a post-mortem examination, but later confirmed it was a case of murder. Swati's mother, Shashirekha, filed a missing person complaint on March 7 after searching for her daughter. Upon being shown the body's photographs, Swati's family identified her. On social media the murder was given a communal twist. Following this, social media posts under the hashtag "Justice for Swati" began circulating, with allegations linking the case to communal tensions. However, Haveri Superintendent of Police (SP) Ansukumar clarified that the murder was not related to any communal issue. He stated that the three accused killed Swati due to personal reasons. A key suspect, Nayaz, has been arrested, and police teams have been formed to apprehend the remaining two accused. (ANI)
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