E-Paper
Karnataka police hand Bajrang Dal activist Harsha's murder probe to NIA
Harsha, a 27-year-old Bajrang Dal worker, was hacked to death by a local Muslim gang in Shivamogga on February 20.
The National Investigation Agency (NIA) will take over investigation into the murder of Shivamogga-based Bajrang Dal worker Harsha from the Karnataka government. The murder occurred on February 20.
According to reports, the NIA has registered a formal complaint on Wednesday in a New Delhi court regarding the murder case of Bajrang Dal activist Harsha Nagaraj, also known as Harsha Hindu. The NIA was handed the investigation by the Karnataka police.
The police had arrested 10 people on March 2 in the murder case and invoked sections of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), 1967 against the arrested. The NIA is now expected to seek custody of the arrested suspects to start investigations in Shivamogga.
The UAPA being invoked is being seen as a precursor to the case being handed over to the anti-terror NIA. A few BJP leaders also sought for the case to be handled by the agency, with Union Minister of State for Agriculture and Karnataka's BJP leader Shobha Karandlaje penning a letter to Union Home Minister Amit Shah on February 22, seeking the NIA to take over the probe into the murder of the right-wing activist.
A senior state police official had told reporters that there is a suspicion of a larger conspiracy behind the murder rather than a localized rivalry, when the murder case had been registered.
The UAPA, usually invoked in cases of terrorism, was invoked in this case as police sources have reportedly said that the Act can be applied in cases where a crime is carried out to create an atmosphere of fear amongst a certain community.
Harsha, a 27-year-old Bajrang Dal worker in Shivamogga, was allegedly hacked to death by a local Muslim gang. 30-year-old Mohammed Kashif, who is one of the accused, was said to be Harsha's prison mate in 2017. Several of the accused have multiple cases of assault, burglaries, and robberies against them.
Karnataka Police have reportedly indicated suspicion of a larger conspiracy behind Harsha's murder, as he was involved in organizing support for the hijab ban at some of the colleges in Shivamogga.
