The government has appointed a committee headed by Shivamogga Deputy Commissioner K.B. Shivakumar to probe the blast at Hunasodu which claimed six lives. Shivamogga Superintendent of Police K.M. Shantharaju and three technical experts are also in the committee.
When The Hindu contacted Mr. Shivakumar, he said the committee has begun its work on the ground. “We are making progress in the investigation,” he said. He, however, refused to share names of the experts on the panel.
The committee has attracted the wrath of Opposition parties, who have maintained that an investigation headed by the Deputy Commissioner would not bring out the truth.
K.B. Prasanna Kumar, former MLA, alleged that the investigation by this committee was just an eyewash. “Nothing will come out of this. For a fair investigation, the Minister in charge of the district, K.S. Eshwarappa, should resign first. Then the matter should be handed over to the CBI or a probe by a sitting High Court judge should be ordered,” he said.
