Mangaluru: The Mangaluru police have arrested eight individuals in connection with the murder of rowdy-sheeter and Hindu activist Suhas Shetty, who was killed on Thursday night near Bajpe. Karnataka Home Minister G. Parameshwara confirmed the arrests during a press conference held at the Mangaluru Police Commissioner’s office on Friday.
Speaking to the media, the Home Minister said that the investigation is in full swing and eight accused have been taken into custody. “No person from any community will be allowed to take the law into their own hands. Strict action will be taken against all those involved,” he stated. Parameshwara also conducted a review meeting with senior police officials to assess the law and order situation in the region, following tensions in parts of Dakshina Kannada district after the murder.
According to police sources, the arrested accused have been identified as follows:
Abdul Safwan, aged 29, son of Abdul Nasir, is a resident of Shantigudde in Pejavara village, Mangaluru. He was staying in a rented house on Mahakali Temple Road in Bajpe and works as a driver.
Niyaz, aged 28, son of Aboobakker, is from near Shantigudde Mosque in Bajpe. He also stays near Mahakali Temple in Kinnipadavu, Bajpe and works as a mason’s helper.
Mohammad Muzammil, aged 32, son of Abdul Razak, lives in Kenjaru, Bajpe. He worked as a salesman in Saudi Arabia and returned to India four months ago. He got married recently to a woman from Pakshikere. He has a past criminal record with a case registered against him at Panambur Police Station in 2016 under Section 392 of the Indian Penal Code.
Khalandar Shafi, aged 31, son of Mohammad, hails from Kalavaru in Mangaluru. He works as a salesman in Bengaluru and has a case registered against him at Suratkal Police Station in 2023 under the NDPS Act.
Ranjith, aged 19, son of Rajesh, is from Rudrapada in Kalasa taluk, Chikkamagaluru district. He belongs to the Adi Karnataka (Scheduled Caste) community and works as a driver.
Nagaraj, aged 20, son of Mari Muthu, is a resident of Mavinakere village in Chikkamagaluru. He belongs to the Vokkaliga Gowda community and works in a shamiyana (tent house) business.
Mohammad Rizwan, aged 28, son of Abdul Majeed, resides near Eidgah Mosque in Jokatte, Mangaluru. He works in an oil plant shutdown operation in Saudi Arabia.
The eighth accused is Adil Meharuf from Bajpe. Adil is son of Umarul Farooq and brother of Mohammed Fazil who was murdered in Suratkal in 2022.
Following the murder, the police launched an operation and recovered the vehicle used in the crime. Based on CCTV footage and other evidence, they were able to identify and arrest the suspects.
The murder of Suhas Shetty has led to tension and protests in the region. Security has been heightened, with additional police forces deployed to maintain peace and prevent any untoward incidents.
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Mumbai (PTI): In view of Argentine superstar footballer Lionel Messi's visit to Mumbai on Sunday, the city police are implementing stringent security measures, like not allowing water bottles, metals, coins inside the stadiums and setting up watchtowers to keep an eye on the crowd, officials said.
The police also said taking extra care to avoid any stampede-like situation and to prevent recurrence of the chaotic situation that unfolded in Kolkata during Messi's visit on Saturday as thousands of fans protested inside the Salt Lake stadium here after failing to catch a clear glimpse of the football icon despite paying hefty sums for tickets.
Messi is expected to be present at the Cricket Club of India (Brabourne Stadium) in Mumbai on Sunday for a Padel GOAT Cup event followed by attending a celebrity football match. He is expected to proceed to the Wankhede Stadium for the GOAT India Tour main event around 5 pm.
"In view of Lionel Messi's visit to Mumbai, the police are geared up and have put in place a high level of security arrangements in and around the stadiums located in south Mumbai. Considering the chaos that prevailed in Kolkata and the security breach, we have deployed World Cup-level security arrangements at Brabourne and Wankhede stadiums," an official said.
Expecting heavy crowd near the stadiums during Messi's visit, the city police force has deployed more than 2,000 of its personnel near and around both the venues, he said.
As the Mumbai police have the experience of security 'bandobast' during the victory parade of ICC World Cup-winning Indian team and World Cup final match at the Wankhede Stadium, in which over one lakh cricket fans had gathered, we are prepared to handle a large crowd of fans, he said.
"We are trying to avoid the errors that occurred in the past," the official said.
There is no place to sneak inside the stadiums in Mumbai like the Kolkata stadium, according to him.
The police are also asking the organisers to provide all the required facilities to the fans inside the stadium, so that there will be no chaos, he said, adding the spectators have purchased tickets in the range of Rs 5,000 to 25,000. After paying so much of amount, any spectator expects proper services, while enjoying the event, he said.
The police are expecting 33,000 spectators at the Wankhede Stadium and over 4,000 at Brabourne Stadium. Besides this, more than 30,000 people are expected outside and around the stadiums just to have a glimpse of the football sensation, he said.
The organisers responsible for Messi's India visit recently came to Mumbai to discuss security arrangements. During the meeting, the Mumbai police asked them not to take the event lightly, according to the official.
After those requirements were fulfilled, the final security deployment was chalked out, he said.
Police has the standard procedure of the security arrangements inside the Wankhede Stadium, where people are barred from taking water bottles, metals objects, coins. Police are setting up watch towers near the stadiums and there will be traffic diversions, so that there is maximum space available to stand, according to the official.
Police are also appealing to the spectators to use public transport service for commuting and avoid personal vehicles to reach south Mumbai.
To avoid any stampede-like situation, police are also taking precautionary measures and will stop the fans some distance ahead of the stadium and public announcement systems will be used to guide the crowd. Barricades will be placed at various places to manage the crowd.
In case the crowd swells up beyond expectation, the police will divert people to other grounds and preparations in this regard underway, he said.
Additional police force has been deployed in south Mumbai to tackle any kind of situation, he said.
