While public outrage grows against the murder of an upright KAS officer, S.P. Mahantesh, a PIL pending before the Karnataka High Court seeking an independent investigation into alleged irregularities and land grabbing by cooperative housing societies, could eventually throw some light on what he was up against. Congress leader and son of former chief minister J.H. Patel, Mahima J. Patel, who has filed the PIL , is already facing the heat for acting as a whistleblower.

A couple of months ago he claimed he had been threatened and told to withdraw his case. Mr Patel approached the court last year with Ganesh S. Koundinya, a Bengaluru social activist, challenging the government's order to the Registrar of Co-operative Societies, allowing house building cooperative societies to allot sites to non-members after admitting them as associate members. The two have sought a stay on the government order, arguing that in case of house building societies of employees of any organisation or industry, the membership should be confined only to the workers and no outsiders should be allowed to enroll as members.

“Instead of striving for the welfare for their members house building cooperative societies have become a platform for real estate activities for businessmen and developers with the blessings of corrupt officials in the department concerned,” they charged, recalling the audit report which said societies bought thousands of acres of agricultural land through agents and developers going against section 54 of their model by-laws.

“The government has permitted change of land use from the green belt to yellow against the law. Influential developers and powerful politicians are directly or indirectly involved in such land conversions and formation layouts,” claims the PIL, which has been posted to May 24 for further hearing by the Chief Justice , who has already issued notices to the respondents.

Family still trying to cope with shock
The death of KAS officer, Mahantesh has plunged his entire neighourhood into gloom. The officer's house on 1st Cross, Vittal Nagar, Chamrajpet, is engulfed in painful silence as his wife, K S Purnima and 65-year-old mother, Vijayamma lie in bed, trying to cope with the shock and trauma of his death.

The officer 's father, Mr Puttanaiah, 73, cannot understand why his son was attacked ." He never interfered in anyone's affairs, and was a simple person. The government and the police are sayingt they are investigating the case. I only seek justice and support for the family and his two little daughters, Ragini and Deepika, who are studying in class V and III respectively at the Jnanashree School in Chamrajpet," he adds, grief- stricken.

Although Deepika who is merely eight years old is still too small to grasp the enormity of the tragedy, Ragini, who turned 10 on May 19 has realised she will never see her father again and is crying inconsolably, he reveals. Mr Puttanaiah is unhappy with a section of the media, which he says is misinformed about his son. “They write whatever they please without clarifying what they have heard from others,” he says sadly.