DK MP Captain Brijesh Chowta demands NIA probe into Suhas Shetty's murder
alleges pattern of targeted killings
Mangaluru: In the aftermath of the brutal murder of Suhas Shetty in Bajpe on Thursday, Dakshina Kannada MP Captain Brijesh Chowta, has formally written to Union Home Minister Amit Shah urging an immediate transfer of the investigation to the National Investigation Agency (NIA).
In his letter, Chowta expressed anger and described the killing as part of a recurring pattern of lawlessness and targeted violence in coastal Karnataka. He cited previous incidents, including the high-profile murder of BJP activist Praveen Nettar, and pointed to alleged involvement of radical organizations such as the now-banned Popular Front of India (PFI). “This incident is not isolated,” Chowta wrote, adding that the killing has “shaken the people of the entire coastal Karnataka region to the core.”
“Suhas Shetty's family is devastated and is looking to us for justice. As their elected representative, and as someone who has personally witnessed the pain and desperation that grips the region today, I appeal to you with utmost urgency and sincerity, that this case be handed over to the National Investigation Agency (NIA) for a comprehensive and impartial investigation as there is a possibility of involvement of activists from the banned PFI organisation,” he added.
Taking to his official 'X' (formerly Twitter) account, Chowta further alleged a pattern of targeted attacks against Hindu activists during Congress rule in Karnataka. “Every time Congress comes to power, our region sees a rise in targeted killings of Hindu karyakartas,” he wrote. He warned that the method of Suhas Shetty’s killing is similar to earlier attacks, requiring a national-level investigation.
Meanwhile, the situation across Dakshina Kannada district remained tense on Friday, with incidents of stone-pelting and stabbing reported in some areas. Prohibitory orders, which were initially enforced within Mangaluru Commissionerate limits, have now been extended across the entire Dakshina Kannada district.
Deputy Commissioner Mullai Muhilan M.P. has issued an order imposing Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) throughout the district until May 5.
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EC demands extra security as unrest grips Bangladesh afresh
Dhaka (PTI): The Election Commission (EC) has demanded extra security for its chief, other commissioners and officials as fresh unrest visibly gripped Bangladesh after gunmen shot an upcoming parliamentary polls candidate and frontline leader of last year's violent street movement dubbed 'July Uprising'.
"The EC has written to the Inspector General of Police (IGP) urging comprehensive security arrangements for the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC), Election Commissioners (ECs), senior officials of the Election Commission Secretariat," the state-run BSS news agency reported on late Saturday.
The EC simultaneously sought the extra security for its field-level offices ahead of the 13th national election, as two of them came under attack in southeastern Lakshmipur and southwestern Pirojpur by unidentified miscreants after the announcement of the schedule for the upcoming polls on Thursday.
The commission demanded an additional escort vehicle for the CEC, while one such police escort with a vehicle was currently in place for him. It asked for round-the-clock police escorts for the four commissioners and the senior secretary.
The letter said the enhanced security measures were "urgent and necessary," while EC officials said their 10 regional offices, 64 district election offices and 522 sub-district level offices would store important documents and election materials.
The EC on Thursday said the upcoming parliamentary election would be held on February 12 next year, while a day later, Sharif Osman Hadi was shot from a close range in the head, critically wounding him, as he initiated his election campaign from a constituency in the capital.
Critically ill former prime minister Khaleda Zia's Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) simultaneously asked Muhammad Yunus' government to provide security for all candidates in the upcoming election after the attack on Hadi, who leads a radical right-wing cultural group called Inquiab Mancha.
"We demand that the real culprit be identified immediately and brought under the law, and we call upon this government to ensure the security of all candidates without delay," BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir said.
Hadi was also a frontline leader of last year's student-led violent uprising that toppled then-prime minister Sheikh Hasina’s Awami League government on August 5, 2024.
His Inquilab Mancha was also at the forefront of a campaign to disband the Awami League, which the interim government complied with in May this year, disqualifying the party from contesting the polls.
The government on Saturday ordered a nationwide security clampdown called 'Operation Devil Hunt 2' amid escalated fears over the law and order situation and promised to issue firearms licenses for election candidates for their own security.
Home adviser (retd) Lieutenant General Jahangir Alam Chowdhury said the government had taken steps to ensure special security for the "frontline fighters" of the July Uprising and promised to issue firearms licenses for the election candidates.
He emphasised that the second phase of the 'Devil Hunt' was aimed at helping ensure public safety and combat the growing threat of illegal arms.
The operation was initially launched in February this year following protests over an attack on the private house of a former minister of the ousted government in the northern suburb of the capital, when it targeted alleged "henchmen" and supporters of the now disbanded Awami League.
