Mangaluru On High Alert: NO Public Gathering In City Amid Tensions After Bajrang Dal Activist Murder

Suhas Shetty Murder: Mangaluru is on high alert following the brutal murder of Hindutva activist and former Bajrang Dal member Suhas Shetty, who was hacked to death on the evening of May 1. In response, police have imposed prohibitory orders across the city until Tuesday, May 6, to prevent any flare-ups or law and order issues.

The incident has raised tensions in the communally sensitive coastal region, leading to a swift shutdown by authorities.

Mangaluru Police Commissioner Anupam Agarwal, who also serves as the Additional District Magistrate, announced the enforcement of prohibitory orders under Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita.

The order bans public gatherings, processions, sloganeering, meetings, and the carrying of any items that could potentially be used as weapons.

It covers the entire Mangaluru City Police jurisdiction and aims to “prevent potential flare-ups and maintain public order after the incident.”

The directive will remain in effect until May 6, and police patrols have been stepped up across sensitive areas.

Suhas Shetty, 42, was a controversial figure in Karnataka’s coastal political history. He was earlier associated with the Bajrang Dal, and had a history of criminal cases, five in total, including one in Dakshina Kannada and four within Mangaluru city.

He came into national focus in 2022 when he was named as one of the key accused in the murder of 23-year-old Mohammed Fazil, a Muslim youth from Mangalapete in Katipalla. Fazil’s killing occurred just two days after the murder of BJP youth leader Praveen Nettaru in Sullia, and was widely perceived as an act of retaliation, fuelling communal tensions in the region.

According to police, the attack took place around 8:27 PM on Thursday, May 1, while Shetty was travelling by car with five others. Near Bajpe, two cars allegedly intercepted their vehicle. Around five to six assailants emerged, armed with swords and other sharp weapons, and launched a violent assault.

“Shetty was left critically injured on the road,” reported PTI, as the attackers fled the scene.

Police say preliminary investigation indicates the attack was premeditated, though the motive remains unclear. A massive manhunt has been launched to track down the culprits.

Karnataka BJP President B Y Vijayendra condemned the killing, calling it a “chilling reflection of the alarming breakdown of law and order” under the “Wazar-e-Ala government.” He further alleged that radical elements were operating with impunity and questioned whether the government was complicit in allowing such forces to flourish, even referring to the situation as the creation of a "mini Pakistan" in the state.

Leader of the Opposition R Ashoka echoed similar sentiments, demanding the resignation of Home Minister G Parameshwara. He accused the Congress of "appeasement politics" and likened the killing to targeted attacks on Hindus in Kashmir and West Bengal. Ashoka said the incident once again exposed the state’s “crumbling law and order,” and called Chief Minister Siddaramaiah a “colossal disaster” who had lost moral authority to continue in office.

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