Bangalore: Opposition members in the Legislative Assembly on Monday staged a walkout demanding a probe by the Central Bureau of Investigation into the murder of Vijay Kumar, son of the Bidar MLA and former Minister Gurupadappa Nagamarapalli, alleging that the police had colluded with the killers.

Making a suo motu statement, Home Minister M.P. Prakash rejected the demand saying the investigation had been entrusted to the Corps of Detectives.

The Superintendent of Police of Bidar district had been shifted and the jurisdictional officers had been suspended, he said and assured the House that the investigation would be impartial.

Earlier, Leader of the Opposition N. Dharam Singh demanded a discussion on the matter before Question Hour. Speaker Krishna, who initially refused to oblige him, agreed to it as a special case when Mr. Prakash said he was ready to make a statement.

Mr. Singh, and senior Congress leaders M. Mallikarjun Kharge, R.V. Deshpande and Ramesh Kumar alleged that the police stood by while Vijay Kumar was stabbed repeatedly.

The withdrawal of Y and Z category security provided to the Nagamarapalli family emboldened the killers, the leaders alleged. Security had been provided because of the threat to the former Minister and his family from naxalites.

Turning the tables on the Opposition, the Home Minister said security was withdrawn during the Congress regime.

Then the Congress leaders wanted action taken against the chairman of the committee in the Police Department that decides on who should be provided security. They accused the committee of taking whimsical decisions.

`Advice ignored'

Mr. Prakash said the Additional Superintendent of Police had asked Mr. Vijay Kumar to wait for ten days as they had not yet obtained a copy of the sessions court order on the disputed land, but Vijay Kumar defied the officer's advice.

The Congress leaders asked what had prevented the police from stopping Vijay Kumar and his supporters from going to the disputed site.

Mr. Singh criticised Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy for not visiting Mr. Nagamarapalli even though he had been in Bidar. Vijay Kumar's mother-in-law had died of a heart attack on hearing the news.

At least the Home Minister should have visited the Nagamarapalli family to offer condolences, he said.

Mr. Prakash said he would visit him shortly.

While Janata Dal (United) leader J.C. Madhuswamy and G.V. Srirama Reddy (CPI-M) demanded a high-level inquiry into the incident, Vatal Nagaraj wanted a retired high court judge to conduct the inquiry.

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