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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FIDE Women's World Cup final: Humpy draws with Divya in first game
Batumi (Georgia), Jul 26 (PTI): Young Indian International Master Divya Deshmukh held her nerves to hold stalwart Koneru Humpy to a draw in game 1 of the FIDE Women's World Cup final, with both players having their share of opportunities to take the lead here on Saturday.
The draw with black means Humpy, the two-time World Rapid champion, holds a slight edge going in the second and final game under the classical chess rules in the two-game mini-match, and should the deadlock continue, games of shorter duration will be played to determine the winner.
Humpy employed the Queen's gambit accepted as black and it turned out to be a pretty fascinating game right out of the opening as Divya, 19, came up with a piece sacrifice early to deny the black king the right to castle.
Humpy was the first to err and, according to computers, Divya had things under control on the 14th move. However in her bid to recover the extra material, the Nagpur girl, who has secured a place in the Candidates tournament with her sterling performance here, missed a promising continuation.
What followed the exchange of all minor pieces and the ensuing queen and rook endgame gave enough counter play to both players. The game was eventually drawn after Humpy sacrificed her rook to force perpetual checks.
"The game saw an extremely sharp battle with the game ending in a draw in 41 moves. On move 7, Divya made her aggressive intentions clear by offering another pawn,
which looked like home preparation. Humpy made a practical decision of refraining from taking the pawn and a balanced position was reached by move 10 by white," said Grandmaster Pravin Thipsay, an Arjuna awardee and the first Indian to get a chess Grandmaster norm.
"However, instead of developing the undeveloped Knight, Humpy retreated the centralised Knight on move 10, giving huge positional advantage to Divya. Divya could have gained huge positional advantage on the 12th move by moving a rook. However, she chose to play for King side attack by sacrificing a piece instead.
"Humpy, too, erred at this stage and instead of moving the King to Queen side, moved it to the King side. Divya, on move 14, could have obtained a crushing attack by threatening a mate by developing her Queen. Instead she chose to exchange a pair of Bishops first, which enabled Humpy to defend her King by returning the piece," said Thipsay.
"Players thus reached a balanced Queen and two Rooks ending. Divya continued to play ambitiously and tried to attack Humpy’s King but the latter defended accurately and the game was drawn in 41 moves by perpetual check," he added.
In the play-off for the third place, Chinese players Zhongyi Tan, the former women's world champion and top seed Lei Tingjie also decided to split points out of a Queen’s gambit declined game.
The opening raised visions of a close contest between the two but having been knocked out of title race in the previous round, none of them wanted to take any huge risk. It was still a middle game when the players shook hands.
With the top two positions sealed for the Indians, the berth to the next Candidates is also assigned, while the player finishing third will also get an entry to the premier event scheduled for 2026.
Results: Divya Deshmukh (Ind) drew with Koneru Humpy (Ind); Zhongyi Tan (Chn) drew with Tingjie Lei (Chn).
