NIA raids 14 locations in coastal Karnataka over Suhas Shetty murder case

The NIA conducted raids at 14 locations in Dakshina Kannada in connection with the murder of Hindu activist Suhas Shetty. Investigators are probing suspected PFI links and foreign funding. The case has escalated communal tensions and led to multiple arrests

Mangaluru: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) launched a major crackdown in the wake of the brutal murder of Hindu activist Suhas Shetty, conducting coordinated raids across multiple locations in Dakshina Kannada district. On Saturday, officials raided 10 premises in Bajpe and 4 in Surathkal, including residential and commercial properties, seizing documents and questioning individuals linked to the case.

Suhas Shetty was murdered on June 1 at Kinnipadavu near Mangaluru. A group of assailants attacked and killed him around 8:30 PM, triggering widespread unrest across the coastal belt. The incident escalated communal tensions and was strongly condemned by Hindu organisations and BJP leaders.

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Following the arrest of 12 individuals, including both perpetrators and alleged accomplices, the Union Ministry of Home Affairs handed the case over to the NIA, citing its broader implications and suspected links to radical outfits.

During the raids, NIA teams seized crucial documents and questioned multiple suspects. Sources said that individuals with prior links to the banned outfit Popular Front of India (PFI) are under the scanner. Investigators are also probing the role of foreign funding in orchestrating the murder, as suspected by political and community leaders.

Suhas Shetty’s family had demanded an NIA probe, submitting a plea to the Governor of Karnataka for central intervention. The case also attracted the attention of Union Home Minister Amit Shah, who was reportedly briefed on its seriousness and suspected conspiracy.

Hindu leaders and BJP functionaries had long urged that the case be handed over to the NIA, alleging it was part of a larger conspiracy involving sleeper cells and external forces. They raised concerns about funds possibly being routed from abroad to execute the plot.

In a related twist, two Hindus were also arrested in the case, raising complex questions about inter-community manipulation. It was alleged that Hindu individuals were used as pawns in a revenge plot, allegedly orchestrated by a man named Fazil, who sought to avenge his brother’s murder.

The NIA’s latest raids mark a critical phase in the investigation as the agency works to unravel the larger conspiracy, focusing on both financial and ideological motivations behind the killing. More arrests are expected in the coming days.