Harsha had three cases against him, say police
Harsha’s murder has become the spark that tipped the simmering district over the edge as mobs went on a rampage across Shivamogga, damaging, assaulting and attacking Muslim neighbourhoods in the district.
Bajrang Dal activist Harsha Jingade, who was murdered in Shivamogga on Sunday night, had three criminal cases registered against him, a senior police official said on Tuesday.
Harsha’s murder has become the spark that tipped the simmering district over the edge as mobs went on a rampage across Shivamogga, damaging, assaulting and attacking Muslim neighbourhoods in the district.
While BJP leaders and others have been quick to point fingers at ‘Jihadi’ elements as the cause of the murder, police officials said that Harsha, too, was a known offender.
“He has three cases. Two of rioting and one for hurting religious sentiments between 2016-20,” said a senior police official, requesting not to be named. The official added that Harsha had spent some time in jail, details of which are unknown.
The cases include instances of stone-pelting and even allegations of desecrating a mosque about five years ago.
While his family claimed that their son was a ‘social worker’, others around him said that he kept his family away from what he did outside. He worked as a contract worker in the post office and worked with the right-wing organisation post-lunch.
His sister, Ashwini, said that her brother did not share what he did outside of the home as he “did not want to scare us”.
According to Murali Krishna, his neighbour and relative said that Harsha was a target.
“He was targeted for about 2-3 years. He had caught cow thieves, and they (extremist) organisations) had targeted him,” Krishna said.
Pradeep, a relative, said that there were many instances where Harsha was taken by the police, but that he never said anything.
According to Hindu Rashtra Parishad Santosh Guruji, Harsha was attacked in 2015, but the latter escaped.
“No one should look at it as an incident that we will forget. There is a curfew for now to maintain peace but there is fire in the heart of every youngster and Hindu. To all the Hindu’s in Shivamogga, as the chief of the Hindu Rashtra Parishat I am saying that we are not taking it as self respect but as a war,” he said.