The National Investigation Agency took over the investigation into the murder of Harsha, a Bajrang Dal worker, from Shivamogga police.
The men took the model with them on the pretext of dropping her off at her residence. (Creative Commons)
“Accused persons A-1 to A-8 formed themselves into a terrorist gang and conspired and hacked Harsha @ Hindu Harsha to death by using lethal weapons in order to create fear among the section of Hindu community (sic),” says the National Investigation Agency (NIA) charge sheet in the murder of Bajrang Dal worker Harsha.
Of the 10 accused named in the charge sheet, submitted last week, eight have been booked under the stringent Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA).
Harsha, a resident of Shivamogga, was hacked to death in February this year.
The Hindutva outfit worker’s murder had led to communal tensions in Shivamogga. Two days after Harsha’s murder, the Shivamogga police apprehended six persons. Four more were arrested eventually.
Given the pressure from right wing organisations as well as Union ministers like Shobha Karandlaje, the investigation in the case was transferred to NIA.
The NIA, in its charge sheet, has asked the court to take congisance of offences committed by Reehan Shareef, Mohammed Kashif, Asifulla Khan, Abdul Afwan, Syed Faroz, Abdul Kader Jilani, Roshan, Faraz Pasha, Nadeem, and Jafar Sadiq.
The first eight accused have been charged under various sections of the IPC, including 120B (criminal conspiracy), 153A (promoting enmity), 302 (murder) r/w 34 of IPC and section 16, 18, 18B and 20 of UAPA.
Nadeem and Jafar have been charged under section 212 (harbouring offender) of the IPC.
The NIA, in its charge sheet, has claimed that accused number one to eight “developed hatred towards Hindu community people during CAA-NRC issue, Hijab controversy and cow preservation activities of Bajrang Dal activists”.
The central agency has deemed Harsha’s murder an act aimed at creating terror among Hindus and creating disharmony and hatred between Hindus and Muslim.
“After identifying Harsha as a prominent Hindu community leader, the accused persons chased Harsha in public road with machetes in their hands and then brutally assaulted him,” the NIA charge sheet reads.
The NIA’s charge sheet also claims that the accused raised the slogan “kafir Bajrang Dal wale ko maro” while attacking Harsha.
NIA has argued that its investigation is based on the statement of witnesses, recoveries of blood-stained weapons used for the assault, blood-stained clothes of the accused, coupled with CCTV footage, FSL (forensic) reports and CDR (call data) analysis.
The NIA has identified Faraz Pasha as the one who recced Harsha before the assault and charged Abdul Afwan of attempting to destroy evidence.
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