Mangaluru, May 2 (IANS) The Karnataka Police rushed additional police forces from other districts to the communally-sensitive Mangaluru district on Thursday to maintain law and order following the killing of Hindu activist Suhas Shetty within the Bajpe police station limits of the coastal city, police said.
Mangaluru Police Commissioner Anupam Agarwal has said, “We have spoken to police headquarters regarding the situation, and additional forces are being deployed to Mangaluru. Officers of the rank of Superintendent of Police, Additional Superintendent of Police, and others of all ranks are arriving from various districts. The headquarters has approved the deployment of these extra forces, and they will reach tonight.”
He also added, “We are forming three to four special teams as personnel are required for other duties at this time to launch hunt for the accused. These teams will work under the leadership of the officer of the rank of the Assistant Commisioner of Police. Operations will begin tonight. Efforts are underway to arrest those involved in the act.”
“We will set up checkposts and conduct cordons across the city,” the Police Commissioner said.
Commenting over the murder of Hindu activist, the Commissioner added, “Between 8:30 and 8:40 p.m. near Kinnipadavu, which falls under Bajpe police station limits, a murder was reported. A known history-sheeter, Suhas Shetty, was travelling in an Innova car along with five to six associates. At that time, some individuals arrived in two vehicles — one a goods carrier and the other a Swift car.”
“First, the car in which Suhas Shetty travelling was rammed by the goods vehicle. Then, individuals from the Swift car emerged and specifically targeted Suhas Shetty. They attacked him with machetes and other weapons, striking his head and other parts of the body,” he said.
“His associates were also injured in the attack. They were immediately shifted to A.J. Hospital, where Suhas Shetty was declared dead. Two of his companions sustained injuries and are currently receiving treatment,” he added.
“Suhas Shetty was a history-sheeter involved in two murder cases. One of them was the 2022 murder of Fazil Mohammad, in which he was accused number one. He had been released on bail a year ago and was under constant surveillance,” Agarwal said.
“We have obtained video footage and are working to identify the accused. Considering the sensitive nature of the city, we have ramped up arrangements, patrolling, and cordon. Senior officers and personnel from other districts are arriving, and from tonight, we will ensure proper security arrangements across Mangaluru city,” the Commissioner reiterated.
“Suhas Shetty was involved in two murder cases and faced three other cases. He was being closely watched. We had issued warnings to him after his release on bail. However, this incident still occurred. It appears to be a revenge killing. We have collected video evidence, and once verified, we will determine whether it was a case of revenge or some other motive,” he said.
The communally-sensitive coastal city of Mangaluru in Karnataka has turned tense following the murder of Hindu activist Suhas Shetty.
Suhas Shetty was a Bajrang Dal activist and the prime accused in the murder of Mohammad Fazil, a resident of Suratkal.
Shetty and his associates had allegedly killed Fazil at a public place on July 28, 2022, in retaliation for the murder of BJP activist Praveen Kumar Nettaru.
Nettaru, a BJP worker from the same communally-sensitive region, was hacked to death during the height of the ‘hijab’ row.
The incident occurred in Bellare near Sullia in Dakshina Kannada district.
Nettaru’s murder had triggered revenge killings and a spate of stabbing incidents across the state.
Mangaluru recently witnessed a mob lynching of a man from Kerala, identified as Mohammad Ashraf, who was allegedly heard shouting “Pakistan Zindabad” during a cricket tournament.
Police are investigating whether Suhas Shetty’s murder has any connection to that incident.
With this latest development, the coastal Karnataka region remains on edge.
Earlier, the revenge killings had shattered the region and the entire state.
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which was ruling the state had to put in all its efforts to defuse the anger of the Hindu activists after the murder of Nettaru in 2022.
The BJP government’s reluctance to visit revenge killing victim Mohammad Fazil’s house and console his family had raised concerns.
BJP leaders had queued up before Praveen Kumar Nettaru’s residence and announced compensation from the government, but did not even mention Fazil.
The National Investigation Agency (NIA) is probing the murder case of Praveen Kumar Nettaru.
–IANS
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