The death of BJP Yuva Morcha President of Sulya, Praveen Nettaru, a 32-year-old resident of Nettaru in Bellare in Dakshina Kannada district who was heading home after closing his shop Akshaya Poultry Farm at about 9 pm by unknown assailants has led to simmering tension and curfew like situation in the communally sensitive region.
According to police, three unknown motorcycle-borne assailants in helmets hacked Praveen Nettaru. As soon as he was attacked, he tried to escape and ran but he fell down after a major assault on his head, police said.
According to eye-witness at the scene of crime, three miscreants carrying swords attacked Praveen on his neck and head leaving him bleeding to death. The locals immediately informed police about the incident, who rushed to the spot and took the blood soaked Nettaru to
the hospital where the doctors declared him dead.
The Dakshina Kannada Rural district Superintendent of Police Rishikesh Bhagawan Sonawane told this paper that the investigations are ongoing though there is no breakthrough as of now.
To a query on the possibilities of assailants coming from neighbouring Kerala, the officer said, «That is one of the possibilities as the Kerala border is just seven kms from here. We are working from various angles. We are on it. There was tension following the incident as the BJP as well as many Hindu organisations were angry with the incident.
They staged a protest against the killing on Tuesday night in front of the hospital where the body was kept and bandh call was given in Kadaba, Sullia and Puttur Taluks of the district against the killing. Following the incident, four police teams have been constituted to nab the assailants and security has been beefed up in Udupi and Dakshina Kannada districts as additional forces have been deployed to ensure law and order.
Police also suspect that this was done out of vengeance as a few days ago a youth was murdered in the region.
Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai speaking to reporters in Bengaluru said it looks like a preplanned act and that he has instructed police to leave nothing to chance and carry out a thorough probe. “Since the area shares a border with Kerala I have instructed the police to even venture into Kerala to nab the culprits if that is the case.
Meanwhile, in Delhi, Prahallad Joshi, Union Minister for Parliamentary Affairs said that there seems to be a strong connection to SDPI and PFI of Kerala and these organizations have raised their heads as Congress supports them. “During his tenure as chief minister Siddaramaiah had quashed all cases against them to appease the community,’’ he told reporters outside the parliament on Wednesday.
On other hand, Shobha Karandlaje, MoS, Agriculture, who hails from the same town as the deceased Praveen which is Puttur said he was targeted. “It has all the signatures of organized crime. Praveen always maintained a low profile and was involved in social work. They have recced and planned this brutal murder as there are no CCTV cameras in the rural area, Praveen became an easy target. I will meet Union Home Minister Amit Shah and petition him to hand over the case to NIA as this is an act of terror. I also urge the state government to not let the culprits slip through,’’ she said.