Going behind messages circulated on social media maligning characters of Bharatiya Janata Party Yuva Morcha activist 32-year-old Praveen Nettaru and 22-year-old Mohammed Fazil, soon after their murders, has led the police to persons allegedly involved in the murders.
Search is on for the key accused persons in both cases. While two arrests have been made in connection with the Praveen murder case, several people have been questioned in connection with the Fazil murder case.
Soon after the murder of Praveen at Bellare of Dakshina Kannada on July 26, some persons circulated on social media that the murder was a result of an extra-martial affair that the deceased had.
Similarly, after the murder of Fazil in Surathkal July 28, messages were afloat on social media that the deceased belonged to Sunni sect and he was in love with a girl from Shia sect. The attack was by the girl’s family members who opposed the alliance, the messages claimed.
“The perpetrators tried to give a personal angle to the incidents to divert the attention of people away from murders that have happened on communal lines. We sensed this and were able to come close to those allegedly involved in the murders,” a senior police officer involved in the investigation of the murders told The Hindu.
The Dakshina Kannada police have so far arrested Zakir, 29, of Savanoor and Shafiq, 27, of Bellare in connection with Praveen’s murder. One arrested person allegedly provided food to the assailants, while another person was in constant touch with the killers. The officer said the State police would trace the killers before the case is officially handed over to the National Investigation Agency (NIA). Order on handing over Praveen’s murder probe to the NIA is yet to be issued.
Working on clues available from the car used by the perpetrators in Fazil’s murder, the Mangaluru city police are questioning persons suspected to be involved in the murder.
“We questioned 14 persons initially and on Friday questioned 21 persons. Sixteen more were questioned on Saturday. We are zeroing down to persons involved in the murder,” Police Commissioner N. Shashi Kumar told reporters on Saturday.
On Mangaluru City North MLA Y. Bharath Shetty’s statement that police should not arrest innocent people in Fazil’s murder, Mr. Kumar said police were just questioning suspects. “We will arrest only those against whom we have evidence,” he said and added that it was too premature to say anything about the political affiliation of the accused.
