Karnataka Home Minister G Parameshwara said on Saturday that eight people have been arrested in connection with the murder of a Hindu activist in Mangaluru and an anti-communal task force will be constituted permanently to tackle incidents of "communal hatred".
The arrested persons have been identified as Abdul Safwan (29), Niyaz (28), Mohammed Muzammil (32), Kalandar Shafi (31), Mohammed Rizwan (28), and Aadil Mehroof, all residents of Bajpe in Mangaluru; and Ranjith (19) and Nagaraj (20), both from Kalasa town in Chikkamagaluru, police said.
Speaking to reporters, Mangaluru Police Commissioner Anupam Agrawal said that eight people have been arrested and two more suspects are likely to be arrested soon in connection with Suhas Shetty's murder.
According to him, six of the accused were directly involved in executing the murder, with Safwan named as the prime accused. He reportedly had a previous case of attempted murder registered against him in 2023.
The prime accused Abdul Safwan had been the target of a murderous assault in 2023, allegedly carried out by Suhas Shetty along with his associates Prashanth and Dhanaraj. Fearing for his life and anticipating further attacks, Safwan is believed to have planned the murder of Shetty, Agrawal added.
During the planning phase, Safwan reportedly contacted Adil Mehroof, the brother of Fazil, a youth who was previously murdered in Mangaluru. Commissioner Agrawal stated that Adil assured Safwan a payment of Rs 5 lakh for executing the murder. An advance of Rs 3 lakh was allegedly paid, and Safwan then mobilised a team to carry out the attack.
Police say this financial arrangement and the background of personal enmity were central to the orchestration of the murder. Investigation is ongoing to track all transactions and communications linked to the crime.
Suhas Shetty, a known rowdy sheeter and Hindu activist, was murdered by an unidentified group late on Thursday within the Bajpe police station limits in Mangaluru city.
Addressing a press conference after a meeting with top police officials, Parameshwara said the anti-communal task force will be constituted specially for Udupi and Dakshina Kannada districts on the lines of the Anti-Naxal force.
"It will be headed by a Inspector General of Police (IGP). The force will be a permanent feature to operate in Udupi and Dakshina Kannada districts," he added.
The Home Minister said that people used to love coming to these districts for their peaceful environment, resourceful people, and hospitality in the past.
"We in the government are sad to see the image of these two districts being sullied due to communal forces and their radical and violent actions. We will see that the twin districts will regain their image and peace through several measures, starting with the anti-communal task force," he said.
Noting that there have been no naxalite movement in these parts of the state now, Parameshwara said, "The anti-naxal force will be tapered down in size and mandate, and we will shift some officials to head the anti-communal task force in times to come."
"The police in Udupi and Dakshina Kannada districts have apprehended and dismantled the communal goons network upto 96 per cent and we will not rest till we see the end of it," he added.
"We will not look at which community and which person. It could be anybody. Whoever makes inflammatory remarks, speeches -- either in social media or elsewhere -- will not be spared," the Minister said.
Responding to a question, Parameshwara said, "We know most of the time it is the people's representatives who make open statements on the communal issues and try to escalate communal situations. In the coming days we will see these things are put down with an iron hand."
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