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No decision on NIA probe into Suhas Shetty murder case: Karnataka minister
The killing led to protests in parts of coastal Karnataka, with Bajrang Dal and Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) leaders calling it a targeted attack on right-wing activists
Home minister G Parameshwara on Monday said the state government is yet to take a final call on whether to hand over the investigation into Bajrang Dal worker Suhas Shetty’s murder to the National Investigation Agency (NIA). The Union home ministry has already sent a formal request to this effect.
Speaking to reporters in Bengaluru, Parameshwara said, “The Union home ministry has written a letter to the state government to hand over the case of the murder of Suhas Shetty to the NIA. I believe the letter came yesterday (Sunday), I learnt that from the Director General of Police (DGP), and we are going to decide on it.”
The request from the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), dated June 7, follows growing political pressure and communal tensions after Shetty’s murder last month in Dakshina Kannada district. The 30-year-old man, known for his association with the Bajrang Dal, was brutally attacked by unidentified assailants while returning home at night in Sullia town. He died on the spot.
The killing led to protests in parts of coastal Karnataka, with Bajrang Dal and Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) leaders calling it a targeted attack on right-wing activists. The incident also triggered a sharp political backlash from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which accused the Congress government of failing to protect right-wing workers.
State BJP president BY Vijayendra criticised the government, calling it “anti-Hindu” and claiming repeated attacks on Hindu activists since the Congress came to power. “Hindu karyakartas have been consistently attacked here in the state ever since Congress has come to power… Due to the appeasement politics of the Siddaramaiah government, no action has been taken so far against any organisation or anti-national elements… In the recent Suhas Shetty murder case, the home minister was forced to cancel his visit to Suhas Shetty’s house. This Siddaramaiah government is anti-Hindu,” he said.
He added that BJP representatives had submitted a memorandum to governor Thaawar Chand Gehlot seeking a central investigation. “The Centre has now agreed to our demand,” he said.
The MHA’s letter stated that the case may involve a larger conspiracy and concerns related to national security. “The Central Government is of the opinion that a Scheduled Offence under the National Investigation Agency Act, 2008, has been committed... and it is required to be investigated by the National Investigation Agency in accordance with the National Investigation Agency Act, 2008,” the notification read.
However, state police officials noted that the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) has not yet been invoked, raising jurisdictional questions over an immediate NIA takeover. A senior official said, on condition of anonymity, that legal clarity is being sought.
According to the police, Shetty was travelling with five associates in the Kinnikambla area of Mangaluru on May 1 when their vehicle was stopped by a group of five to six men. The attackers dragged him out and hacked him to death in front of the others.
In response to communal unrest, authorities imposed prohibitory orders under Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS). So far, 12 suspects have been arrested.
