Latest news with #Rahiman
Time of India
4 days ago
- Politics
- Time of India
Bantwal murder case: Forum demands police action against Hindutva activists
Mangaluru: Muslim Samaja Bantwal has urged the police to book Hindutva activists Bharat Kumdel, Sharan Pumpwell, Srikant Shetty and Shivananda Mendon in the brutal murder of Abdul Rahiman. KH Aboobakker, president of the Muslim Samaja Bantwal, and general secretary Haneef Khan told reporters here on Thursday, that these activists were instigating youths to murder Muslims by delivering provocative speeches at 'Bajpe Chalo' and various other occasions, after the murder of Suhas Shetty. Hence, their names should also be added to the FIR. There are more perpetrators behind the murder of Rahiman. The case should be handed over to the National Investigation Agency (NIA) or a probe should be conducted through a special investigation team, they demanded. They also demanded that the accused should be booked under appropriate sections of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act and Karnataka Control of Organised Crimes Act (KCOCA). Aboobakker said that the family of Rahiman, who left behind two children, a wife, and elderly parents, is in distress. "Rahiman, who was very friendly with everyone in the village, has no criminal background. A hardworking pick-up vehicle driver, who was lending a helping hand to needy people without considering their religion and caste, was murdered by fundamentalist forces based on the directions of Sangh Parivar. It is the responsibility of the govt to provide compensation of Rs 1 crore to the family. The govt should also bear the medical expenses of seriously injured Kalandar Shafi, who is undergoing treatment at a private hospital," he said.
The Print
4 days ago
- Politics
- The Print
A chain of retaliatory killings & a political blame game keep coastal Karnataka on boil
The pick-up truck driver's was a third murder in the coastal district in nearly a month, in what is emerging as a disturbing pattern of retaliatory killings that haunt the coastal districts of Karnataka including Dakshina Kannada, Udupi, Uttara Kannada and Mangaluru city. It was no surprise Rahiman's last rites procession witnessed heavy police security. 'We need justice,' an inconsolable Shabana, his sister, told reporters. 'He was involved only in his work and did no wrong to anyone. Those who did this to him should be punished.' Bengaluru: Hundreds of people braved incessant rains in Karnataka's Dakshina Kannada district Wednesday to take part in a funeral procession. The body of 32-year-old Abdul Rahiman was taken from the hospital to his house and then to a mosque before the last rites were conducted. On 17 April, a 35-year-old Kerala resident was lynched by a mob allegedly for chanting pro-Pakistan slogans during a cricket match in Mangaluru's Kudupu locality, bordering Kerala. This was followed by the brutal killing of 33-year-old Suhas Shetty, a rowdy-sheeter, in full public view on 1 May at the busy Kinnipadavu locality of the city. As soon as news of Shetty's murder hit headlines, the Siddaramaiah-led Karnataka government issued orders to form an 'anti-communal force,' in the state, potentially nothing like any state has seen so far. This force is yet to become operational, even as tensions in the communally sensitive coastal regions remain dangerously close to spiraling out of control. 'There are some formalities to be completed on how it needs to be formed, who will head it, what powers should these people be given…all of these have to be examined, studied and then be formed. So, yesterday (Wednesday) we have issued a government order to form the anti-communal force,' G. Parameshwara, Karnataka's minister for home affairs, told reporters Thursday. Rahiman was attacked Tuesday afternoon by a machete-wielding group of more than 15 people. Another person, Kalandar Shafi, also a pick-up truck diver, was injured in the attack and is under treatment. The police are yet to officially ascertain the motive behind the killing but all fingers point to the possibility of retaliatory murders. According to the FIR registered after the murder, at least 15 people attacked the duo near Kuriyala village. Deepak, Sumith and 13 other unnamed individuals have been listed as the main accused in the case that has pushed the coastal district on the edge again. Also Read: Coastal Karnataka on edge as murder accused 'Hindu activist' hacked to death in Mangaluru Random retaliation Some instances of stone-pelting were reported Wednesday in Surathkal in northern Mangaluru. After Suhas Shetty's murder too, there were at least three instances of machete-wielding groups trying to attack random strangers in parts of the district, apparently to avenge the killing. 'Unlike in cases involving rowdies, where one gang kills the others' members because they were involved, here they need a person from the other religion. If it's a Muslim, they need a Hindu and vice-versa. And in the process, the easiest ones get killed,' said a senior police officer who was posted in the region. What appears to be a cycle of tit-for-tat killings ostensibly triggered by the killing of 19-year-old Masood B. who was attacked by unidentified people on 19 July, 2022, in Kalinja in Sullia taluk. He died two days later in a hospital. His death did not make headlines but there were those who wanted to avenge his killing. On July 26 that year, bike-borne assailants hacked to death Praveen Nettaru, a Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BYJM) worker in Bellare village, fuelling tensions. The ruling BJP was unable to give an explanation. Suhas Shetty was out in vengeance and randomly chose a target. The next day, Suhas allegedly killed 23-year-old Faizal in the busy Mangalpete locality of Surathkal in the northern part of the coastal district. Adil, Faizal's brother, now is the main accused in the murder case of Suhas Shetty. Before that in June 2017, there were clashes triggered by the killing of Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI) leader Ashraf Kalayi, fueling a flare-up. This was followed by a fatal attack on Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) worker Sharath Madivala in early July that year. BJP vs Congress Congress leader Dinesh Gundu Rao, Karnataka's minister for health & family welfare, said Wednesday the chain of retaliatory murders was giving the state and district a bad name, and also deterring investors. Rao, who is also the Dakshina Kannada district minister, said the entire Sangh Parivar ecosystem too was responsible for the situation. Asked if Rahiman's killing was another communally motivated murder, Rao said, 'Let the entire investigation come out, we are not people who speak out provocatively like the BJP. They have no control over their tongues…have no limit on their tongue. You have seen how they speak, the Sangh Parivar, the BJP and their leaders… if they get the opportunity, they will carry out their politics over a dead body.' BJP began its 2018 Karnataka assembly election campaign with a tableau in Uttara Kannada's Ankola, depicting Hindus and cows being killed by Muslims. Shobha Karandlaje, Ananth Kumar Hegde and others participated in the padayatra (foot march) to highlight the alleged systemic targeting of Hindus under Siddaramaiah's rule. Karandlaje also released a list of 23 names claiming they were Hindutva workers killed by jihadists. It was found later that several of these people had died of unrelated causes, and some are even alive, according to multiple reports, including police versions. The Congress and BJP have traded charges, accusing each other of emboldening the other side to carry out these murders. 'Some of these people believe that they can do anything under the name of Hindutva. They use religion as a shield for killing someone or making provocative speeches,' Rao said Wednesday. BJP hit back, accusing the Congress of appeasement. 'There is no system to keep law and order in the state. There are an increasing number of love-jihad cases, terrorism activities. The number of people saying Pakistan Zindabad has also gone up…there is a mindset for retaliatory killings that is not good for the state,' responded R. Ashoka, the Leader of the Opposition in Karnataka. He said Congress's appeasement politics was the main reason for communal discord in the coastal districts. Meanwhile, a senior intelligence officer said the killings can be understood only through the lens of politics and local sentiments. 'That's where the entire game is.' (Edited by Ajeet Tiwari) Also Read: Amid row over 'janeu' removal at CET centres, Oppn targets Siddaramaiah govt with 'hijab' jibe
Time of India
5 days ago
- Politics
- Time of India
Mangaluru murder: Several Muslim leaders resign from Karnataka Congress in protest citing law and order failure
NEW DELHI: Several Muslim leaders from the Congress party in Dakshina Kannada district resigned from their party positions on Thursday, citing worsening law and order and the state government's alleged failure to safeguard minority communities. The resignations were announced during an emergency meeting of the party's minority leaders held at Shadi Mahal in Bolar, news agency PTI reported. The move comes after the recent killing of 32-year-old Abdul Rahiman in Bantwal taluk, which has heightened communal tensions in the region. Rahiman and his 29-year-old co-worker Kalandar Shafi were attacked by two assailants on motorcycles while unloading gravel on Tuesday. Rahiman died from his injuries, while Shafi remains hospitalised. The incident occurred less than a month after the murder of Hindu activist Suhas Shetty on May 1 in the communally sensitive district. Among the prominent Congress leaders who resigned were MS Mohammad, state general secretary of the minority cell, and K Abdul Rauf, district vice-president. The resignations were made publicly from the stage, under mounting pressure from grassroots workers expressing frustration over the party's response to recent events. The leaders alleged that the home department has failed to curb the rising violence in the district and voiced strong dissatisfaction over what they described as the continuous neglect of Muslim communities by the state government. Shahul Hameed, president of the minority cell, revealed during the meeting that chief minister Siddaramaiah had asked for a week's time to respond to their concerns. However, the leaders chose to resign regardless, stating that their grievances had been long ignored. Reports suggest that mass resignations were submitted across various levels of the party's minority wing, from booth-level workers to senior office-bearers, in protest of the state leadership's inaction.
Time of India
5 days ago
- Time of India
15 booked for murder of driver in Bantwal
1 2 Mangaluru: Bantwal Rural police registered a case against 15 people in connection with the murder of pickup driver Abdul Rahiman,32, a resident of Kolthamajalu, Badagabellooru village, Bantwal, and secretary of the local Juma Masjid, who was hacked to death on Tuesday. In a complaint, Mohammad Nisar stated that while he was on his way to Polali, he received a call informing him that Abdul Rahiman and Kalandar Shafi, 29, were brutally assaulted with sharp weapons at Irakodi in Kuriyala village. Upon reaching the spot, Nisar found Rahiman lying on the ground with serious injuries. Shafi, was critically injured, and was shifted to a private hospital in Mangaluru. En route, Shafi informed the complainant that the incident took place when he, along with Rahiman, loaded sand near a river between 3 pm and 3.30 pm, and when they were unloading it near the house of Rajeevi. A group of about 15 men armed with a sword, knife, and rod arrived. They allegedly dragged Rahiman from the driver's seat and launched a violent attack on him. Shafi claimed he too was assaulted when he tried to intervene. He told police that the assailants were known to him. The FIR named Deepak as the accused, along with Sumith and 13 others. Rahiman succumbed to his injuries shortly after, and his body was later shifted to a private hospital in Deralakatte for postmortem. The incident sparked tension in the area, with increased police presence to prevent any untoward incidents. Protesters gathered outside the hospital, expressing anger against the Congress-led state govt for failing to control the situation. A case was filed under various sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) — 103, 109, 118(1), 118(2), 190, 191(1), 191(2), and 191(3). Investigations are ongoing. Police said that five teams have been formed to nab the accused.
Time of India
5 days ago
- Politics
- Time of India
Karnataka CM orders crackdown after masjid secretary murder
Photo/Agencies MANGALURU/BENGALURU: As Karnataka's Dakshina Kannada continues to be tense following the murder of Koltmajalu Juma Masjid, Abdul Rahiman, on Tuesday, CM Siddaramaiah direct police to crack down on those indulging in violence and probe if there's a link between the recent murders in the district. "I told police to act tough and probe the motive behind the recent killings," Siddaramaiah said in Bengaluru. Police suspect communal or personal reasons behind the killing of Rahiman (32), who worked as a pickup vehicle driver. He and his co-worker, Kalandar Shafi (29), were unloading sand outside a customer's house in Kuriyala village when they were attacked by a group of men on motorcycles. Rahiman died on the spot, while Shafi is in ICU. The FIR names 15 people, two of whom were identified as Deepak and Sumith. Shafi told police the assailants were known to him and Rahiman. Mohammad Nisar, a fellow driver who filed the police complaint, said: "While we were unloading sand ... about 15 people carrying swords, machetes and rods attacked Rahiman, who was in the driver's seat. When Shafi intervened, he too was assaulted." The victim was laid to rest Wednesday amid tight security. His funeral procession drew a massive crowd, bringing traffic to a standstill. Amid simmering tension, several shops remained shut. Stone-pelting was reported in Surathkal, where two buses were damaged. Prohibitory orders under section 163 of BNSS remained in force across Bantwal, Puttur, Belthangady, Kadaba and Sullia taluks, and additional police force was deployed. Mohammad Azmal, a relative of Rahiman, said: "These murders are happening for political reasons. I request govt to take stern action against the accused and stop these retaliatory killings." Rahiman's killing follows the murder of Hindutva activist Suhas Shetty in Mangaluru on May 1. One of the accused, Naushad was attacked in prison earlier this month, after which he was moved to Mysuru jail.
