MANGALURU: Close on the heels of rejecting a bail plea by eight of the nine accused in the murder of SDPI leader Mohammad Ashraf on Thursday, the sixth additional district and sessions court on Friday rejected a similar plea by an accused in the much touted Karthik Raj murder case Gourav Kayya , an accused in the murder of Karthik Raj, son of former Mangaluru taluk panchayat member Umesh Ganiga had moved for bail before the court.The judge D T Puttaranagaswamy upheld prosecution's contention that there was prima facie evidence of involvement of Gourav in the murder. The prosecution contended that it was on the explicit instruction of Kavyashree, sister of Karthik Raj did Goutam Kayya and his brother Gourav assault Karthik Raj that resulted in his death on October 22, 2016. The body of Karthik Raj, 27, was found near Konaje police station on the city outskirts the same day.The murder took a political turn with the now infamous comment of Dakshina Kannada MP Nalin Kumar Kateel that the BJP would set fire to the district if police failed to nab the assailant of Karthik Raj at a protest rally outside Konaje police station. Incidentally, Kavyashree, the main accused too was present at this very protest meeting. The city police on April 20 arrested Goutam, Gourav and Kavyashree in connection with the murder of Karthik Raj.The Hindu chauvinist organisations had gone on the offensive against Mangaluru City Police accusing the authorities of turning a blind eye to what they maintained was the alleged involvement of 'jihadi' elements from neigbouring Kerala in the murder of Karthik Raj and the perceived delay in cracking the case. State BJP leadership that included party chief B S Yeddyurappa had visited the house of Karthik Raj and consoled his family.

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