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BJYM leader Nettaru murder probe to be given to NIA: Bommai
Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BJYM) leader Nettaru (32) was killed in an attack on Tuesday evening at Bellare in Dakshina Kannada district
Karnataka chief minister Basavaraj Bommai on Friday announced that the murder case of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) youth wing leader, Praveen Nettaru, will be handed over to the National Investigation Agency (NIA).
Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BJYM) leader Nettaru (32) was killed in an attack on Tuesday evening at Bellare in Dakshina Kannada district.
Announcing the decision , Bommai said on Friday evening: “After discussing with police officials in the state, our government has decided to hand over this murder case to NIA for further investigation. The state police will soon submit a letter regarding this to NIA.”
Karnataka’s additional director general of police, Alok Kumar, said that it will take some time to hand over the case. He added that the local police will continue the investigation till NIA takes over.
So far, police have arrested two men, Zakir (29) from Savanuru in Haveri district and Mohammed Shafiq (27) from Bellare village, in connection with the murder. The two men were presented before a local court in Dakshina Kannada and they were remanded to police custody on Friday.
A case was registered under section 302 of IPC for murder against unknown persons. According to a senior police involved with the case, charges under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) will also be registered.
Police have not yet confirmed the exact involvement of the arrested duo in Nettaru’s murder.
Officers from the Dakshina Kannada police told HT that investigators have established a timeline of events in the lead-up to the murder. Based on the CCTV footage, a copy of which HT has seen, police have identified the two-wheeler with the Kerala registration number allegedly used by the assailants for killing Nettaru, a second senior police officer said, asking not to be named.
In the footage, a motorcyle-borne man can be seen waiting on the road before heading towards Nettaru’s shop. The motorcycle, parked around 50 metres from the shop, started to move at 8.33 pm and within seven minutes, people were seen running towards the shop, said the officer. “Based on the footage, we believe that the murder took place between 8.37 pm and 8.40 pm,” the officer added.
The police chief of Kasaragod, from where the two accused were arrested, has been asked to form a special investigation team (SIT) to assist the Karnataka Police, the officer said.
Speaking to reporters, the chief minister said Nettaru’s murder was a planned and organised crime with an interstate angle, which is why the case is being handed over to NIA. “We will write to the Union Home Ministry requesting for investigation by the NIA,” he said.
Following the killing on Tuesday, several BJP leaders, including Union minister of state for agriculture and farmers’ welfare, Shobha Karandlaje, urged the Union home ministry to order an NIA probe into the matter.
The family of the deceased too urged Bommai to hand over the probe to the NIA when he met the family on Thursday.
