Mangaluru/Bengaluru, May 2 (PTI) The Dakshina Kannada district on Friday witnessed a shutdown in most parts, following a bandh call given by the VHP and the prohibitory order clamped by the district administration after a Hindu activist’s murder.
Suhas Shetty, a known rowdy sheeter and Hindutva activist, was murdered by an unidentified group late on Thursday within the Bajpe police station limits in Mangaluru City.
The BJP has demanded a NIA probe into the killing of Shetty whose last rites were conducted today at his native in Buntwal in the presence of large number of Hindu activists, locals and BJP leaders.
The attack on Shetty was captured on a CCTV camera which showed that at least five assailants attacking him with machetes and swords.
Police have seized three vehicles connected to the murder. Weapons were reportedly recovered from a car.
According to police sources, Shetty had been targeted on social media prior to the attack. A now-deactivated Instagram page named “Target Killer” had posted threats, along with images of Shetty and other past murder accused.
The murder took place in Kinnipadavu in Bajpe, on the outskirts of Mangaluru city at around 8.30 pm on Thursday. Shetty, was travelling in a vehicle with his group of associates when he was allegedly intercepted by five-six assailants who came in a car and a pickup vehicle.
The assailants attacked Shetty with lethal weapons, causing grievous injuries. He was immediately rushed to AJ Hospital, where he succumbed to his injuries.
Police have increased patrolling, and senior officers have been deployed to monitor the situation.
Few public transport buses were stoned in some areas of the district, officials said.
VHP gave bandh call today following the murder of Shetty.
Shops were closed in Mangaluru city and suburban areas. In some sensitive areas, the police have urged the shopkeepers to close down their establishments.
The Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) had also suspended the services to suburban areas after their buses were stoned near the Pumpwell and Kankanady areas.
According to officials, a few private buses were also stoned near Mulky and Nanthoor, following which they were also called off the roads.
KSRTC Divisional Controller, Rajesh Shetty, said that their four vehicles were stoned on the way to Mangaluru city from suburban centres on Friday morning.
Business establishments in taluk centres like Puttur, Sullia, Buntwal, and Belthangady were shut down.
Superintendent of Police of Dakshina Kannada N Yathish had recommended the closure of all liquor shops in the district, following which Deputy Commissioner of the district Dr Mullai Muhilan suspended the liquor sale in urban, semi-urban and some rural areas of the district.
Similarly, the Commissioner of Police, Anupam Agarwal, also recommended similar measures for Mangaluru city.
Following the incident, police enforced prohibitory order under section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita across the Mangaluru City Police limits from Friday to May 6.
The order aims to prevent potential flare-ups and maintain public order after the incident, police said.
According to police, Shetty was the main accused in the murder of Mohammed Fazil in Surathkal on July 28, 2022. Fazil’s murder had happened two days after the murder of BJP leader Praveen Nettaru in Sullia.
Shetty, who was in his early thirties, was reportedly associated with various local Hindutva outfits and had several cases registered against him, including for assault, murder and unlawful assembly.
Demanding that the guilty must be punished, Shetty’s mother said, “He was saying that he will fight for hindutva till his last breath. They stopped his breath.” His father Mohan Shetty said, “Suhas had told about the threat to his life and this killing is for revenge. He was a pillar of strength for us….Congress government for appeasement of minorities is targeting Hindu workers. Intelligence has failed.” Speaking to reporters in Mandya, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said, police have been instructed to find out the culprits involved in the murder at the earliest, and to arrest them and take action.
Stating that he is yet to know the reason for the killing, he said, “He (Shetty) was said to be a rowdy sheeter. It needs to be checked. After the murder, I spoke to the police yesterday, and we have sent ADGP (Law and Order) to Mangaluru.” Karnataka Home Minister G Parameshwara said that the government has taken the murder case “very seriously”, and asserted that the perpetrators will not be spared.
Calling for peace, he said four police teams have been formed to catch the culprits. Additional forces have been rushed to Mangaluru, aimed at maintaining peace and harmony, he told reporters in Bengaluru.
Additional Director General of Police (Law and Order) Hithendra R said that the police have got information about the culprits behind the murder, and action is being taken to arrest them soon.
“We have got to know about the culprits, their names and other details. Action is being taken to arrest them at the earliest,” Hithendra, who rushed to Mangaluru on the instructions of Home Minister told reporters.
Karnataka BJP president B Y Vijayendra hit out at the Siddaramaiah-led Congress government in the state over the murder of the Hindu activist and demanded NIA investigation in this case.
Demanding the state government to provide compensation, the party has announced Rs 25 lakh for the family of Shetty, he told reporters in Mangaluru after attending funeral of the activist.
(This report has been published as part of the auto-generated syndicate wire feed. Apart from the headline, no editing has been done in the copy by ABP Live.)
