The Karnataka Police arrested two additional suspects, Vinay and Durgachari, on Saturday in connection with the brutal murder of Swati Ramesh Byadgi, a 22-year-old nurse from Masur village in Haveri district. This follows the arrest of the main accused, Nayaz, on Friday, bringing all three alleged perpetrators into custody. The case, which has sparked allegations of "love jihad" from Hindu activists and BJP leaders, has gripped the state with its chilling details and communal undertones.

Swati, who worked at a hospital in Ranebennur, went missing on March 3. Her body was discovered three days later on March 6, floating in the Tungabhadra River near Pattepura village. Initially buried by Halageri police as an unidentified corpse, a post-mortem later revealed she had been strangled, prompting a deeper investigation. Police findings indicate that Nayaz, with whom Swati had been in a two-year relationship, conspired with his close friends Vinay and Durgachari to kill her after she objected to his impending marriage to another woman from his Muslim community. On March 3, Nayaz lured Swati to Swarna Park in Ranebennur under the guise of a discussion. The trio then drove her to an abandoned school building in Rattihalli, where they strangled her with a saffron towel, stuffed her body in a car trunk, and dumped it into the river.

The case has taken a polarizing turn, with Hindu activists and former Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai labeling it a case of "love jihad"—a term alleging orchestrated romantic deception for religious conversion. Bommai, in a post on X, condemned the murder, linking it to a broader pattern following the Neha Hiremath killing in Hubballi. “Ever since the Congress government came to power, women’s safety has deteriorated,” he wrote, accusing authorities of shielding Nayaz initially and urging strict punishment to curb such crimes. Swati’s family, reeling from the loss of their fatherless daughter, echoed sentiments of delayed justice, suggesting bias due to her community.

Former Minister B.C. Patil visited Swati’s mother in Masur on Saturday, offering condolences and pressing the state for accountability. As outrage grows, villagers and activists have launched a signature campaign demanding action. With all accused now apprehended, the focus shifts to whether the police and courts will deliver the justice to Swati’s loved ones.