Lagatar24 Desk
Mangaluru: The brutal killing of Suhas Shetty, a former Bajrang Dal member and a key suspect in the Fazil murder case, has triggered widespread tension across Mangaluru and the larger Dakshina Kannada region. Unidentified attackers ambushed and hacked Shetty to death Thursday night, prompting prohibitory orders and calls for a bandh by right-wing outfits.
The murder that shook Mangaluru
The fatal attack occurred around 8:27 pm near Kinnipadavu while Shetty was travelling with five others. Police reports state that two vehicles intercepted their car, and five to six armed assailants launched a ferocious sword attack. Shetty was rushed to AJ Hospital but succumbed to his injuries. A case has been registered at Bajpe Police Station, and multiple investigation teams have been mobilised to track the culprits.
Who was Suhas Shetty?
Aged 42, Shetty was a well-known figure in coastal Karnataka’s polarised political landscape. With five criminal cases against him, he had a long-standing affiliation with Hindutva groups, including the Bajrang Dal. His notoriety peaked in 2022 when he was named a primary accused in the murder of 23-year-old Mohammed Fazil. Fazil’s killing, believed to be a retaliatory act after BJP youth leader Praveen Nettaru’s murder, had escalated communal unrest in the region.
Tense aftermath and prohibitory orders
In response to Shetty’s killing, Mangaluru City Police Commissioner Anupam Agarwal enforced prohibitory orders under Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNS), barring public gatherings and inflammatory activity until May 6. The VHP and other right-wing outfits declared a bandh across Dakshina Kannada on Friday, with shutdowns reported in Hampankatta, Surathkal, Ullal, and Puttur. Stone-pelting incidents on buses led authorities to halt transport services, and liquor sales were suspended in sensitive zones.
