Death of Kannada stuntsmen, 2 from crew elude arrest
The Investigation Officer in the case has been changed by the top officials of the Ramanagar district police.
Bengaluru: The four accused, including film director Nagashekhar and stunt choreographer Ravi Varma, in the ‘Maasthigudi’ tragedy case have gone absconding fearing arrest. Meanwhile, the IO (Investigation Officer) in the case has been changed by the top officials of the Ramanagar district police.
Sources said that soon after the FIR was registered against five people - producer Sundar P. Gowda, director Nagashekhar, assistant director Siddu, stunt choreographer Ravi Varma and Unit Manager S. Bharath - the producer was arrested. “As we arrested the producer on day one, the other accused have been absconding. All the four, who left the spot some time after the tragedy, never returned to the accident spot nor did they appear before the police to provide explanation,” an official said.
As the sections invoked against the accused people - 188 (disobedience to order duly promulgated by public servant) for violating the conditions set by the BWSSB, 304 (culpable homicide not amounting to murder) and 34 (acts done by several persons in furtherance of common intention) of the IPC - amount to criminal offence, the four accused have gone absconding.
“The accused clearly know they will be arrested. That is why they did not even turn up at the houses of Anil and Uday, whose bodies were taken there after the bodies were retrieved. However, efforts are on to trace them. Our teams have camped in Bengaluru as all the accused are residents of the city. Besides, teams have been sent to other places as well,” the official added.
Officer changed
Meanwhile, the investigating officer in the case Circle Police Inspector H. L. Nandish of Magadi police station has been changed and Anil, an inspector with the District Crime Branch (DCB) will further investigate the case.