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.

Published on: Mar 24, 2022, 16:46:47 IST

By Yamini C S

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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.

Harsha, a Bajarang Dal worker, was brutally murdered in Bharati Nagar in Shivamogga. (ANI photo)

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.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Yamini C S
Yamini CS is a Senior Content Producer at Hindustan Times with nearly six years of experience in digital journalism. She is part of the India News desk, where she works on a wide range of stories cutting across civic issues, city-based developments, politics, governance, public policy, breaking news, trending topics, and international affairs that have an impact on India. Her role involves tracking fast-moving developments, verifying information from official and on-ground sources, and presenting news in a clear, accessible format for a digital-first audience. A significant part of her work includes handling live blogs during major news events, such as elections, court verdicts, political developments, civic disruptions, protests, weather-related alerts, and unfolding national or international incidents. Through live coverage, she focuses on timely updates to help readers follow complex stories as they evolve. Before moving to the broader India News desk, Yamini was associated with the Bengaluru desk at Hindustan Times, where she extensively covered urban governance, infrastructure, traffic and transport issues, weather events, public grievances, and civic administration in the city. This experience strengthened her grounding in city reporting and sharpened her focus on citizen-centric journalism. She began her career as a correspondent with Reuters after completing a postgraduate diploma in journalism from the Indian Institute of Journalism and New Media. Her early training instilled a strong emphasis on accuracy, sourcing, and news ethics, which continue to shape her reporting style. Outside of work, Yamini enjoys reading across genres, listening to music, and spending time with her family, which help her maintain balance in a fast-paced newsroom environment.Read More

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