Karnataka home minister rejects claims of second autopsy in Ballari firing case

Karnataka Home Minister G Parameshwara on Tuesday rejected claims that the autopsy of the deceased in the Ballari incident was conducted twice, dismissing allegations made by Union Minister HD Kumaraswamy.

Kumaraswamy on Monday had alleged a “systematic conspiracy” by the Karnataka Government to cover up the recent Ballari firing incident and demanded a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into the death of a Congress worker.

Speaking to reporters at his residence, Parameshwara cautioned political leaders against making statements without proper verification, saying uninformed remarks could have unintended social consequences.

“The doctors who conducted the post-mortem have clearly stated that it was not done twice. Those claiming that two post-mortems were conducted—have they even seen it? When doctors have given a statement, whom should we believe? I accept the doctors’ version that the post-mortem was not conducted twice,” he said.

Congress worker Raja Shekhar was killed in the firing allegedly by private gunmen during violence between Congress and BJP workers over the installation of a banner near BJP MLA G Janardhana Reddy’s residence in Ballari.

The banner was related to the unveiling of a statue of Maharshi Valmiki in Ballari on January 4. Responding further to Kumaraswamy’s remarks, Parameshwara said he was serving his third term as home minister and had 38 years of political experience, having handled several responsibilities in both the party and the Government.

He claimed that while Kumaraswamy, as a union minister, had access to nationwide information, it was not appropriate to draw conclusions about the entire system based on a single incident. “The police take decisions at their level to maintain law and order, and the government issues necessary directions and takes appropriate measures whenever such incidents occur,” Parameshwara said.

The Home Minister also congratulated Siddaramaiah on equalling the late former chief minister D Devaraj Urs’ record tenure of 2,792 days in office, saying such milestones were possible due to the Congress party’s ideological commitment and long-term vision for development and social justice.