The Karnataka Police have arrested eight people in connection with the murder of Hindu activist Suhas Shetty. The incident took place in Mangaluru, a communally sensitive city in coastal Karnataka.
State Home Minister G Parameshwara confirmed the arrests on Saturday. He addressed a press conference along with senior police officers and Health Minister Dinesh Gundu Rao, who is also the district incharge for Mangaluru.
Parameshwara said more information on the arrests would be shared by the police. He also announced the creation of a new Anti-Communal Task Force. This force will work to prevent communal violence in Mangaluru and Udupi districts.
The task force will be led by an Inspector General (IG) rank officer. It will start operating within two weeks. The team will work closely with the police department.
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When asked about the arrest of two Hindu individuals in the case, Parameshwara declined to comment. He warned that strict action would be taken against those making provocative statements.
Parameshwara also spoke about the recent mob lynching of a man from Kerala. The victim, Mohammad Ashraf, was allegedly attacked for chanting “Pakistan Zindabad” during a cricket match. In connection with this case, police have arrested 21 people.
He made it clear that the law applies to all. “No one, regardless of religion, will be allowed to break the law,” he said.
Suhas Shetty was a Bajrang Dal activist. He was also the prime accused in the 2022 murder of Mohammad Fazil, a man from Surathkal. Fazil’s killing was believed to be in retaliation for the murder of BJP youth worker Praveen Kumar Nettaru.
Nettaru’s murder, during the height of the hijab row, had triggered communal violence across Karnataka. Many believe Shetty’s murder is linked to this cycle of revenge attacks.
Shetty was killed in a brutal attack. According to the police, a goods vehicle rammed into the car he was travelling in. A gang then emerged from a following Swift car and hacked him to death.
Police formed five special teams to catch the killers. All eight suspects were arrested from different parts of Mangaluru district. CCTV footage helped identify them.
The case has raised serious political concerns. Leader of the Opposition R Ashoka accused the police of negligence. He said Shetty was warned by police not to carry weapons and was searched just a week before his murder.
Ashoka questioned how this information reached the attackers. He also said that threats were made against Shetty before the killing. Messages were later shared online celebrating his murder.
Union Minister Shobha Karandlaje and Mangaluru MP Brijesh Chowta have appealed to Union Home Minister Amit Shah. They want the case transferred to the National Investigation Agency (NIA).
BJP state president BY Vijayendra has announced ₹25 lakh as compensation for Shetty’s family. BJP MLC CT Ravi and others warned that if justice is not served, revenge killings will continue.
Ravi said, “There is no one who has the mindset to let Suhas’ murderers go free.”
Multiple stabbing incidents have been reported in the region since Shetty’s death. The atmosphere in Mangaluru and Udupi remains tense and volatile.
The government’s move to set up the Anti-Communal Task Force is seen as a step to control the situation and prevent more violence in Karnataka’s coastal belt.
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