<p>Karnataka High Court today treated press reports about the brutal hacking to death of an RTI activist here as a suo motu PIL and ordered issue of notice to the city and state police.<br /><br /></p>.<p>A Division Bench headed by Chief Justice Vikramajit Sen appointed senior counsel Hazmath Pasha as amicus curiae to assist the court in the matter.<br /><br />Lingaraju (40), an RTI activist and a whistle-blower, was hacked to death at Vittal Nagar in Chamarajpet by three unidentified persons in front of his house last night.<br /><br />The activist was rushed to a private hospital where doctors declared him dead.<br />A former employee of Canara Bank, he had launched a Kannada tabloid "Maha Prachanda" but closed it some years ago to become a full-time RTI activist. He also dabbled in real estate and was associated with the Congress Party.<br /><br />Recently, Lingaraju had filed a private complaint in the Lokayukta Court against his political rival Govindraju, husband of Azadnagar corporator Gowramma. He had also lodged a complaint with the Upalokayukta against the couple.<br /><br />On November 9, Lokayukta police had raided Gowramma and Govindraju's residence and recovered documents relating to property besides assets worth over Rs 16 crore.<br /><br />Lingaraju is also reported to have provided crucial documents, during preliminary investigation of the cases involving Gowramma and Govindraju, which subsequently led to the raids, police said.<br /><br />According to Lingaraju's wife, Gowramma had recently approached her through some people to get the complaint withdrawn.<br /><br />The family has now filed a complaint, alleging that Gowramma and her associates were behind Lingaraju's murder, police said.</p>
<p>Karnataka High Court today treated press reports about the brutal hacking to death of an RTI activist here as a suo motu PIL and ordered issue of notice to the city and state police.<br /><br /></p>.<p>A Division Bench headed by Chief Justice Vikramajit Sen appointed senior counsel Hazmath Pasha as amicus curiae to assist the court in the matter.<br /><br />Lingaraju (40), an RTI activist and a whistle-blower, was hacked to death at Vittal Nagar in Chamarajpet by three unidentified persons in front of his house last night.<br /><br />The activist was rushed to a private hospital where doctors declared him dead.<br />A former employee of Canara Bank, he had launched a Kannada tabloid "Maha Prachanda" but closed it some years ago to become a full-time RTI activist. He also dabbled in real estate and was associated with the Congress Party.<br /><br />Recently, Lingaraju had filed a private complaint in the Lokayukta Court against his political rival Govindraju, husband of Azadnagar corporator Gowramma. He had also lodged a complaint with the Upalokayukta against the couple.<br /><br />On November 9, Lokayukta police had raided Gowramma and Govindraju's residence and recovered documents relating to property besides assets worth over Rs 16 crore.<br /><br />Lingaraju is also reported to have provided crucial documents, during preliminary investigation of the cases involving Gowramma and Govindraju, which subsequently led to the raids, police said.<br /><br />According to Lingaraju's wife, Gowramma had recently approached her through some people to get the complaint withdrawn.<br /><br />The family has now filed a complaint, alleging that Gowramma and her associates were behind Lingaraju's murder, police said.</p>