Suhas Shetty, a former Bajrang Dal member and murder accused of Mohammed Fazil, was brutally killed in Mangaluru on Thursday night at around 8 PM. He was travelling with five others – Sanjay, Prajwal, Anvith, Latheesh, and Shashank -when their vehicle was intercepted by a car and a pickup vehicle. Around five to six armed men with swords and sharp weapons then launched a targeted attack on Shetty before fleeing the scene.
Despite being rushed to the AJ Hospital, Shetty succumbed to his injuries. A case has been registered at Bajpe Police Station, and a full-scale investigation is underway. According to India Today, eight people, including the main accused, have been arrested in connection with the murder.
The murder has created unrest in the city, following which authorities have suspended public transport and beefed up security. The city remains on high alert.
Who was Suhas Shetty?
Suhas Shetty, 42, was a controversial figure in the state’s coastal politics with a criminal record. He had as many as five cases registered against him – one in Dakshina Kannada and four in Mangaluru City. He was also a member of the Bajrang Dal.
Shetty was also named in the high-profile murder of 23-year-old Mohammed Fazil, a Muslim youth from Mangalapete in Katipalla. Fazil was murdered just two days after BJP youth leader Praveen Nettaru was killed in Sullia. People have long perceived Fazil’s murder as a retaliatory response that intensified communal tensions throughout the region.
After Shetty’s murder, the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) and other Hindu groups called for a bandh across Dakshina Kannada on Friday, May 3. Widespread shutdowns were observed in areas such as Hampankatta, Surathkal, Ullal, and Puttur. Incidents of stone-pelting on KSRTC and private buses were also reported.
BJP MP writes to Amit Shah to transfer case to NIA
Brijesh Chowta, BJP State Secretary and MP from Dakshina Kannada, wrote to Union Home Minister Amit Shah requesting that the investigation into Shetty’s murder be handed over to the National Investigation Agency (NIA), adding that he fears the involvement of activists from the banned PFI outfit.
“As their elected representative, and as someone who has personally witnessed the pain and desperation that grips the region today, I appeal to you with utmost urgency and sincerity, that this case be handed over to the National Investigation Agency (NIA) for a comprehensive and impartial investigation as there is a possibility of involvement of activists from the banned PFI organisation,” he said in his letter.
He added, “This incident is not an isolated one; it is part of a larger pattern of growing lawlessness, emboldened Islamic radicalism, and anti-national elements that continue to operate in the coastal Karnataka region. In recent years, we witnessed the targeted killing of Praveen Nettaru, a committed and selfless BJP karyakarta, by PFI activists, an organisation which was later banned by our government under the leadership of Sri Narendra Modi. Now another young Hindu life has been extinguished in a similar manner.”
(With inputs from agencies)