Yuva Brigade member hacked to death in Mysuru: Police

According to police officials, the victim, identified as Venugopal Nayak, a resident of Srirampura Colony in T Narasipur town, participated in a Hanuma Jayanti programme along with others on Sunday. However, during the procession, a scuffle broke out between two groups over a trivial issue

A 32-year-old member of the Yuva Brigade, a right-wing organisation, was hacked to death during Hanuma Jayanti celebrations near T Narasipura of Karnataka’s Mysuru district on Sunday, police said.

A 32-year-old member of the Yuva Brigade, a right-wing organisation, was hacked to death in T Narasipura of Karnataka’s Mysuru. (Agencies)

Police detained two people, identified as Manikantha and Sandesh, in connection with the incident, and further investigation is underway, officials privy to the developments said.

According to police officials, the victim, identified as Venugopal Nayak, a resident of Srirampura Colony in T Narasipur town, participated in a Hanuma Jayanti programme along with others on Sunday. However, during the procession, a scuffle broke out between two groups over a trivial issue.

“There was a verbal altercation between two groups during Hanuma Jayanti celebrations. The accused group took objection to Nayak and others restricting them from displaying posters of a film star,” a police officer in the know of the developments said.

“The accused group were also stopped from entering the venue by the victim and few others, which led to an altercation. During the incident, the accused stabbed Venugopal with a broken liquor bottle on Sunday night,” the police official said, adding that Nayak, who was seriously injured, was taken to T. Narasipur Public Hospital, where he was declared brought dead.

In the wake of the murder, several pro-Hindu workers protested in front of the hospital. Hindutva activist Chakravarti Sulibele, the chief of the ‘Yuva Brigade’, a right-wing organisation, visited the taluk hospital and expressed his condolences to the family.

Sulibele alleged that supporters of Congress brutally murdered Nayak and demanded the arrest of the accused. “Siddaramayya (Siddaramaiah) 2.0 expanding its tentacles. We lost one of our volunteers yesterday just because he was an active organiser of Hanuma Jayanti! He was brutally murdered by the supporters of Congress...Karnataka burning... Another WB is soon to be witnessed... #YuvaBrigade,” he tweeted on Monday.

Reacting to the incident, Bengaluru South MP and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Tejasvi Surya alleged that the Congress return has “emboldened anti-social elements”.

“Congress’s return has emboldened anti-social elements. Within three days, Jain Muni in Belagavi was brutally murdered, a labourer burnt down in Mangaluru & Yuva brigade member Venugopal Naik was stabbed in Mysuru. Congress promised Garden of Peace but is delivering Garden for Criminals,” Surya tweeted.

Superintendent of police Seema Latkar said that the clash occurred between members of the same community, adding that there was no communal angle behind the incident.

“According to preliminary investigation, two reasons may have caused the murder. One reason is suspected to be the issue over parking vehicles, and another is over the flex board of late Sandalwood actor Puneeth Rajkumar. The murder occurred near Haris Service Station. There is no communal angle behind the incident.”