Suhas Shetty murder: Dakshina Kannada MP and VHP welcome NIA probe

The Hindu

5 hours ago

Welcoming Union Home Ministry's decision to hand over investigation of the murder of Hindutva activist and murder accused Suhas Shetty to the National Investigation Agency (NIA), Dakshina Kannada MP Capt. Brijesh Chowta on Sunday, June 8, said Dakshina Kannada district wants freedom from anti-national elements that are active in the district and become an active part of Prime Minister's vision of Viksit Bharat.
In a statement here, Capt. Chowta said he wrote a detailed letter to Union Home Minister Amit Shah on May 2 expressing the need for an NIA probe following Shetty's murder in full public view in Bajpe on May 1. He had expressed the need of a comprehensive and impartial investigation as there was suspicion of involvement of members of banned Popular Front of India (PFI) in the murder. The nation cannot afford to allow radical, anti-national, and jihadi forces to fester in any part of the country. One month into the letter, the Union Home Ministry decided to hand over probe of Shetty's murder to NIA.
Shetty's murder was a larger pattern of growing lawlessness, emboldened Islamic radicalism, and anti-national elements that continue to operate in coastal Karnataka. Following targeted killing of BJP cadre Praveen Nettaru in July 2022 by members of banned PFI organisation, life of Suhas Shetty, another young Hindu, was extinguished in a similar manner.
The NIA probe will bring to light how radical, anti-national, and jihadi forces were silently operating in Dakshina Kannada and other parts of the country. This was the first step by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi to root out anti-national forces from Dakshina Kannada, he said.
A delegation led by State BJP president B.Y. Vijayendra had met the Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot and placed the request to the State government to hand over investigation of Suhas Shetty murder to NIA.
The BJP has no confidence in Siddaramaiah-led Congress government rendering justice to murder victim's family as the State government has continued with its appeasement politics. The government has political understanding with Social Democratic Party of India, which is extended form of banned PFI, the MP alleged.
VHP reacts
Vishwa Hindu Parishad Dakshina Karnataka joint secretary Sharan Pumpwell, in a statement, said with NIA investigation the VHP has all confidence that all those who were involved in Suhas Shetty's murder, those who conspired and financed the act, will be booked and justice will be delivered to victim's family members. By handing over to NIA, the Union Home Ministry has rightly answered demand of lakhs of Hindus and it was a moral victory to the fight of Hindus.
In response to the murder, the VHP had given a bandh call on May 2 across Dakshina Kannada. A massive protest meet was held on May 25 in Bajpe demanding NIA investigation into the murder. Mr. Pumpwell was arrested on May 27 for allegedly giving inciting statements on the night of May 1, which led to damage of public property, communal tension and public peace on May 2 and subsequent days.