BJP youth worker murder: Karnataka govt to hand over probe to NIA, says CM

Praveen Nettaru, a resident of Bellare in Dakshina Kannada, was attacked by bike-borne assailants when he was returning home after closing his poultry shop

Karnataka chief minister Basavaraj Bommai on Friday announced that the government has decided to hand over the investigation into the murder of BJP worker Praveen Nettaru to the National Investigation Agency (NIA).

A police official said a case under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act will be registered soon. (File image)

Talking to media persons in Bengaluru, the CM said police have been asked to take the required steps for the state to send the proposal for an NIA probe.

A senior police officer in Karnataka said a case under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) will be registered in due course.

“In the backdrop of the murder having inter-state connections, it was decided to hand over the case to the NIA,” chief minister Bommai said.

“There is a suspicion that Nettaru’s murder is connected to organised crime and inter-state nexus. After collecting all the information, a letter will be written to Kerala,” Bommai added.

The arrested accused have been identified as Zakir (29) from Savanuru in Haveri district and Mohammed Shafiq (27) from Bellare village, where the Yuva Morcha district executive committee member Nettaru was hacked to death by unidentified bike-borne assailants on Tuesday night, said Dakshina Kannada superintendent of police (SP) Rishikesh Sonawane.

Nettaru, a resident of Bellare in Dakshina Kannada, was attacked by bike-borne assailants when he was returning home after closing his poultry shop late on Tuesday evening.