Tensions gripped Karnataka’s communally sensitive Mangaluru district following the brutal murder of Hindu activist Suhas Shetty on Thursday, May 1, 2025, within the Bajpe police station limits.

The Karnataka Police have deployed additional forces from across the state to maintain law and order, with three to four special teams formed to hunt for the accused, as announced by Mangaluru Police Commissioner Anupam Agarwal.

The attack occurred between 8:30 and 8:40 p.m. near Kinnipadavu, when Shetty, a known history-sheeter and Bajrang Dal activist, was traveling in an Innova with five associates.

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Assailants in a goods carrier and a Swift car rammed their vehicle, targeting Shetty with machetes and other weapons. He succumbed to his injuries at A.J. Hospital, while two companions were injured.

Shetty was the prime accused in the 2022 murder of Mohammad Fazil, allegedly a retaliatory killing for the murder of BJP worker Praveen Nettaru during the ‘hijab’ row. Released on bail a year ago, Shetty faced five criminal cases, including two murders, and was under surveillance.

Police suspect his killing may be a revenge attack, possibly linked to the recent mob lynching of Mohammad Ashraf in Mangaluru.

With video footage obtained, police have intensified patrolling, set up checkposts, and imposed prohibitory orders until May 6. The Vishwa Hindu Parishad has called for a district-wide bandh, escalating tensions in the volatile coastal region.

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