Mangaluru : An Additional District and Sessions Court in Mangaluru, on Friday, rejected the advance bail plea by Naresh Shenoy, a key suspect in the RTI activist Vinayak Baliga’s murder case that took place on March 21.

The order was passed by II Additional District and Sessions Judge Sarvottam Shettigar. Public Prosecutor Shekhar Shetty had objected to the advance bail plea stating that the suspect was an influential person and there was every possibility of him tampering with the evidence and witnesses if enlarged on bail.

The prosecution had also argued that the suspect should have presented himself before the police to help the investigation. However, he has been absconding since the date of murder, the prosecution said.

Two miscreants had hacked Baliga to death in the early morning of March 21 near his house. Soon, the police arrested the two accused, who were directly involved in the murder. They were looking for the perpetrators of murder. Upon investigation, police believed that Shenoy was linked to murder.

Shenoy, a leader of Yuva Brigade and proprietor of Vivek Traders, has been on the run ever since the murder took place. Police have issued lookout notice against him and still are unable to secure the suspect.

Reacting to the Friday’s order, Mangaluru City Police Commissioner M. Chandra Sekhar told The Hindu that the police would intensify their efforts to apprehend Shenoy. He said Shenoy had no option but to surrender before the police, since his bail plea had been rejected.