Tension in Mangaluru after former Bajrang Dal member beaten to death; VHP calls for bandh today

Tension is palpable in Mangaluru after a known history sheeter and former Bajrang Dal member Sushas Shetty was intercepted and beaten to death by unidentified men on Thursday night.

BJP local leaders and VHP activists in the area congregated near the hospital where the former Bajrang Dal member died of injuries. The local unit of VHP has also given a call for a bandh on Friday.

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It is no longer safe to be a Hindu in Karnataka, said a BJP MLA, Bharat Shetty, alleging, condemning the murderous attack.

State home minister G Parameshwara said that the government was treating the incident with utmost seriousness and top officials were monitoring the situation closely.

“Four teams have been formed. I have sent a senior ADGP-level officer to ensure peace is maintained, and additional forces have also been deployed,” he said. “We have taken this incident very seriously, and we are probing it. We want peace in Mangaluru,” the state home minister said.

Mangaluru Police Commissioner Anupam Agarwal told media persons that it was too early to determine the motive.

Sushas Shetty is believed to have been involved in the murder of a person belonging to the minority community, Mohammad Fazil, in the year 2022. This killing is also believed to be in retaliation to the murder Fazil is alleged to have committed just the day before he was killed. Fazil is alleged to have killed Praveen Nettaru, a BJP Yuva Morcha member.

“We don’t yet know if this was a revenge killing. The investigation will reveal more details. We’ve identified a few of the accused from visuals,” he said. “The body will be taken to Bantwal taluk in an ambulance. Peace is everyone’s responsibility.”

According to CCTV footage secured by the police, the assault on Suhas Shetty took place last night at 8.27 pm. The video showed two cars approaching the vehicle in which Suhas was travelling, forcing it to stop, and five or six unidentified persons got down and attacked him with swords and other lethal weapons, leaving him critically injured last night. The victim was taken to a nearby local hospital, AJ Hospital, where he succumbed to injuries.

BJP MP Nalin Kumar Kateel and MLA Bharat Shetty were among those who visited the hospital. Shetty said that a Hindu worker was murdered today. “It’s no longer safe for Hindus in this state. The police must act swiftly. Anti-social elements are being encouraged, leading to such incidents. This appears to be a planned murder. Another person in the car was also injured,” Shetty added.

Meanwhile, the local unit of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad has called for a bandh in Mangaluru today. Security has been tightened in all sensitive areas, police said.