Observer volume 15

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The Observer An IIJNM publication

Vol 17, Issue 15

LGBTQIA community rises in solidarity against discriminatory laws | P 2

Friday, November 24, 2017

The Observer

@theweeklyobserver On the Web: issuu.com/ theweeklyobserver/docs/ the_observer

Agriculturists of Belur village in Sagara taluk adopt organic farming | P 3

Probe Ravi’s death afresh, says family Demands that a different CBI wing or a judge should re-investigate it

Rayan Mitra rayan.m@iijnm.org

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he family of IAS officer D.K. Ravi on Friday demanded a re-investigation of his death, and asked the CBI to share with it papers of its inquiry into his death. A different wing of the CBI or a judge should re-investigate the matter, they said. Ravi was found hanging at his official residence in Bengaluru on March 16, 2015. Following claims that the popular IAS officer was killed because he took on land and sand mafia, the state government handed the investigation to the CBI a week later. The central agency concluded that Ravi committed suicide due to personal reasons. “The CBI did not use the brain mapping method which would have given them a lead in the case. There were injection marks in his neck,” Devaraja, the family’s lawyer, said in Bengaluru. A repeat postmortem was not

IAS officer D.K. Ravi’s mother breaks down at the news conference she addressed with her husband and the family lawyer Devaraja (left). The family plans to move the high court demanding the CBI’s investigation files conducted as demanded by the family. The CBI did not bother to check the call details of the suspect, the lawyer said at a news conference he addressed along with Ravi’s mother and other relatives.

Ravi’s mother, flanked by her husband and lawyer Devaraja, claimed that was not a suicide. “There were injection marks on the neck of my son. Moreover, the fan he hanged himself from did not bend. It was

a murder,” she said. An emotional Gowramma claimed there were delays in the investigation process and there was an attempt to hide important information. “It has been more than two years since my son was

killed but justice has still not been done.” The family plans to file a petition in the Karnataka High Court demanding the investigation files. “We believe justice will be done,” the lawyer said. Devaraja said that according to the CBI, then home minister K.J. George was interested in the case for his “selfish reasons”. When The Observer called George for his reaction, he said he was in the assembly and could not answer questions. Asked about claims that the family is using Ravi’s death to further its political aspirations, Murali Gowda, state president of the D.K. Ravi Fans’ Association said: “The damage was done by state-owned media, but we know what we are fighting for.” Gowramma had spoken about contesting elections, Murali said. “The Fans’ Association will contest in all the six taluks of Kolar district.” Gowramma will herself not contest, but will decide the association’s candidates.

No rains, but sewage still flows on Sultanpet Road G. Manashaa manashaa.g@iijnm.org

Ayushi Singh ayushi.s@iijnm.org

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hough there has been no heavy rain in more than a month and a half, Sultanpet Road, central Bengaluru, is flooded with dirty water. Shopkeepers are in distress as their business is affected. Water from a drain mixes with water on the road, fouling the entire road and making life miserable for the shopkeepers, residents and commuters. Nawaz A, a shopkeeper who owns a shop in Sultanpet, informed The Observer: “Every Sunday, this is the condition of the road. On weekdays, it is impossible to bear the stench that hangs over the area. Many shopkeepers have complained to the local corporator but to no avail.” Solid waste has blocked the drain that carries rain water. To make matters worse, drain water from buildings sometimes flows on the streets, leaving them flooded. “Commuters use this route to travel to their offices. Life has become hard for us.

Sultanpet Road flooded with rain water mixed with sewage | Credit: Manashaa Ganesan A lot of non-residents visit this area, one of the busiest markets in Bengaluru. There is a Sunday bazaar held on this road, which is affected due to these factors,” said A. Muhammad, a shopkeeper. “Residents cannot keep their windows open due to the stench. It could prove harmful to children of the area,” he added. >>Concern over kids’ health, page 2

hree months ago, The Observer had reported on the garbage pile in an empty plot in ST Bed Layout, Koramangala. The situation has not changed. The garbage mound remains as it has for the past two years. This reporter saw garbage from the plot spilling onto the road. It has become a breeding ground for mosquitoes, which spread diseases like dengue and malaria. “My house is very close to the plot. Many times when I open windows, a horrible stench from the plot enters my home,” Pavithra Mathevanan, a resident of the area, informed The Observer. The BBMP said it could not do anything about it. “People dump garbage into empty plots because they find it convenient to do so. It is not the responsibility of the municipality to go inside empty plots and clear the garbage. Owners should keep track of their plots and get waste cleared from time to time,” said Anjana Iyer, a BBMP official

from the solid waste management department. Vehicles carrying garbage are seen passing through the road, often dumping the waste into plots. Shop owners around the plot say the stench at times makes it difficult for their customers to stand there. “I have small children and have to be very careful because dengue is on the rise. Collected waste has become a breeding ground for mosquitoes due to which we have to live in constant fear of diseases,” said Sunayana VK, another resident of the area. Stray dogs and cows are seen wandering around the area in search of food, littering the area even more. Plastic waste, which constitutes more than half of the garbage, can choke or kill animals that chew it. Residents of the area say they have complained to BBMP many times but to no avail. They have taken it upon themselves to urge residents to avoid dumping garbage into plots, and hand it in bags to waste collectors instead.


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