Selective Reporting? Right-wing portal omits names of all accused in Suhas Shetty murder reporting
Mangaluru: Alt News co-founder Mohammed Zubair has accused right-wing website OpIndia of selectively naming only a few of the accused arrested in the murder case of rowdy-sheeter Suhas Shetty, while deliberately omitting the names of Hindu accused from their report.
In a tweet posted after police revealed the full list of those arrested, Zubair pointed out that OpIndia's tweet mentioned only Muslim names—Abdul Safwan, Mohammed Muzammil, and Mohammed Rizwan—while leaving out Ranjit and Nagaraj, who also face charges in the same case.
According to the police, a total of eight people have been arrested: Abdul Safwan, Niyaz, Mohammed Muzammil, Kalandar Shafi, Mohammed Rizwan, Adil Mahroof, Ranjit, and Nagaraj. Police Commissioner Anupam Agrawal has confirmed that the murder was a result of a personal rivalry and revenge plot. Safwan, the main accused, allegedly feared that Suhas Shetty's gang would kill him, prompting him to plan the murder.
Zubair alleged that by leaving out the names of Ranjit and Nagaraj—both of whom are non-Muslims—OpIndia was attempting to maintain a narrative that the murder was religiously motivated. This goes against the facts presented by police, which made it clear that the incident was not communal in nature but a gang-related revenge killing.
Earlier, several right-wing handles on social media had claimed that Suhas Shetty was targeted because of his religious identity, using the murder to attack the Congress-led state government and alleging that Hindus were unsafe in Karnataka. The BJP too had demanded an NIA probe, calling the murder an act of terror carried out by "Jihadis."
RW propaganda website @OpIndia_com intentionally doesn't mention names of other accused arrested after the murder of Rowdy-sheeter because the complete list of accused includes Ranjit & Nagaraj apart from Abdul Safwan, Niyaz, Mohammed Muzammil, Kalandar Shafi, Mohammed Rizwan,… pic.twitter.com/JmdcaxtP2H
— Mohammed Zubair (@zoo_bear) May 3, 2025
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MP traffic cop suffers burn injuries during Congress' effigy-burning protest; probe ordered
Maihar (MP) (PTI): A traffic policeman suffered severe burn injuries in Madhya Pradesh's Maihar district on Friday after his uniform caught fire during Congress' effigy-burning protest targeted at some ministers, prompting the police to file an FIR and launch an investigation into the incident, an official said.
The protest took place at Agrasen Tiraha in Maihar city, he said.
Traffic policeman, Vikram Pathak, who was on duty at that time, suffered severe burn injuries as petrol carried in a bottle by the protesters fell on his uniform and it caught fire.
Congress workers were burning an effigy while raising slogans against state ministers Rajendra Shukla (Health), Vijay Shah (Tribal Affairs), and Kailash Vijayvargiya (Parliamentary Affairs).
While the opposition party has been targeting Shah for his controversial remarks made last year against Col Sofia Qureshi, it has been demanding the resignations of Shukla and Vijayvargiya over the deaths of people due to contaminated water in Indore.
As the protesters tried to set the effigy on fire, petrol got sprinkled on Pathak's uniform, and it caught fire. The blaze quickly spread to his back and lower body, causing panic during the protest, eyewitnesses said.
A video of the incident also went viral, showing a stampede-like situation soon after the fire.
The police personnel and locals present at the scene acted swiftly and extinguished the fire using blankets and water. The injured traffic policeman was immediately taken to Maihar Civil Hospital, where he is undergoing treatment, the official said.
Doctors said he suffered severe burn injuries, but is out of danger.
Taking serious cognisance of the matter, the police launched an investigation, he said.
An FIR has been registered based on the video footage, and the role of those involved in the protest is being investigated, the official said.
Police are also investigating the circumstances under which flammable material was used during the effigy- burning protest.
Following the accident, additional police force was deployed at the protest site and the surrounding area.
Superintendent of Police Awadhesh Kumar and Collector Rani Batad described the incident as serious and assured strict action against those involved in it.
"A demonstration was being carried out by the Congress, and during the effigy-burning, some petrol was spilled on the uniform of Vikram Pathak, the in-charge on duty, after which it suddenly caught fire and caused burn injuries to him," SP Kumar said.
An investigation is being conducted on the basis of the video, he said.
Madhya Pradesh BJP chief Hemant Khandelwal said in Bhopal, "I have spoken to the policeman and offered my prayers. There is a way to protest. Whatever happened is not right.
