Rowdy sheeter Suhas Shetty, prime accused in the 2022 Fazil murder case, was chased and hacked to death by assailants near Kinnipadavu Cross in Mangaluru on Thursday, police said
Published May 02, 2025 | 6:55 PM ⚊ Updated May 02, 2025 | 6:55 PM
Suhas Shetty. (X)
Synopsis: Suhas Shetty, the prime accused in the 2022 Fazil murder case, was brutally hacked to death near Kinnipadavu Cross in Mangaluru. Attacked by assailants in a Maruti Swift, he succumbed to his injuries despite hospitalisation. Police have filed a case and launched an investigation. Heightened security followed a Bajrang Dal bandh, with stone-pelting incidents reported but no injuries
Suhas Shetty, a rowdy sheeter and the prime accused in the 2022 Fazil murder case, was brutally hacked to death near Kinnipadavu Cross in Mangaluru’s Bajpe area on Thursday. According to Mangaluru Police Commissioner Anupam Agarwal, Shetty was intercepted by assailants in a pickup truck and a Maruti Swift while attempting to flee. Despite trying to escape, he was chased down and attacked with deadly weapons by five to six men.
He was rushed to the hospital but succumbed to his injuries. A murder case has been registered, and while police say they have identified the culprits, the motive remains unclear pending arrests and interrogation.
Referring to the increased police presence, the police officer said, “On Thursday, Bajrang Dal has called for a bandh in Mangaluru. Some miscreants have pelted stones on buses, however no one was injured. We have deployed our police in important place to see that untoward incidents do not take place. While there will be no funeral procession, we have made police bandobast in Bantwala where the last rites of Suhas Shetty will take place.”
Sunil Kumar, BJP MLA from Karkala, defended Suhas Shetty’s association with the Bajrang Dal, stating, “Suhas was an active Bajrang Dal worker involved in various activities across Mangaluru and Bantwal. Naturally, given his participation in protests and larger causes, multiple cases—around five or six—were filed against him. Even I had 27 cases against me when I became an MLA.”
Asked if a rowdy sheeter can be associated with Hindutva organisations, he said, “If a person has five cases against him, then the police will definitely file him as a rowdy sheeter. Even when we participated in different protests they booked cases against us also. That does not mean we are rowdy sheeters. He worked for good cause in our society but he never stepped back from fighting for the right in society.”
Sunil Kumar demanded that the murder case of Suhas Shetty be handed over to the National Investigation Agency (NIA), expressing a lack of faith in the Karnataka police. “We don’t trust the state police to investigate this fairly. The Congress government has withdrawn cases against groups like PFI, and provocative remarks by CM Siddaramaiah and Deputy CM D.K. Shivakumar have emboldened such elements to target Hindu workers,” he alleged.
Meanwhile, Dr Bharath Shetty, BJP MLA from Mangaluru North, downplayed Suhas Shetty’s criminal background, telling South First, “Being accused of murder is just that—an accusation. Let the courts decide. The real issue here is the government and intelligence failure. We’ve seen several murders of Hindu Karyakartas before. When Hindu activists are accused, police thoroughly probe their contacts and movements. But when the roles reverse, that same diligence is missing.”
He added, “Now the jihadi elements and sleeper cells who have got little active are openly making statements that it is our government in the state and we will do whatever we want to. Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and District in Charge Minister, Dinesh Gundu Rao are also giving pro jihadi statements.”
BJP MLA Bharath Shetty further alleged that the Karnataka government selectively enforces the law. “People who chant ‘Pakistan Zindabad’ aren’t arrested, but if you say ‘Bharat Mata Ki Jai’ near a mosque, it’s considered offensive. This kind of appeasement has emboldened anti-national elements,” he said, accusing the Congress of prioritising vote-bank politics and being “pro-Muslim” to safeguard their seats.
Yashpal Suvarna, BJP MLA from Udupi, also defended Suhas Shetty’s ties to the Bajrang Dal. “Suhas was acquitted in the Fazil murder case—the police will say what suits them. This murder is clearly the handiwork of PFI, SDPI, and drug addicts. We’ve been fighting against drug supply from the Kerala border, and that’s why Suhas was targeted,” Suvarna claimed.
(Edited by Ananya Rao)
