Police personnel barricade a road in front of a mosque, as tension spread in Karnataka's Shivamogga town over the murder of a member of Bajrang Dal.
Highlights
- Harsha, a resident of Seegehatti, was attacked by a group of unknown persons in Shivamogga
- Situation in Shivamogga continues is volatile after procession march turned violent
- Karnataka government has appealed for calm, as hunt for culprits is underway
Karnataka Home Minister Araga Jnanendra said on Monday that the police have arrested three persons in connection with the killing of Harsha (26), a Bajrang Dal activist who was stabbed to death in Shivamogga on Sunday night. Meanwhile, the situation in Shivamogga continues to be volatile with protesters torching a police bus on Monday. The procession march organised for Harsha turned violent as incidents of stone-pelting, and torching of vehicles were reported from Shivamogga, forcing the police to use tear gas and lathi charge against the protesters. Meanwhile, the Bajrang Dal has called for a state-wide bandh on February 23 condemning the killing of one of its activists.
- Harsha, a resident of Seegehatti, was attacked by a group of unknown persons at Bharati Colony on Sunday night, following which he was taken to McGann Hospital where he succumbed to injuries. A 4-5 member group of assailants was suspected to be involved in the killing, Home Minister Araga Jnanendra said.
- On Monday, three persons were injured when miscreants pelted stones during the funeral procession of the deceased Harsha that took place amid tight security, even as several vehicles were torched and damaged while there were reports of some shops being ransacked.
- According to official sources, there was stone pelting when the body of Harsha was being taken from District McGann Hospital. Police tried to bring the situation under control and made way for the funeral procession to move further and the final rites to take place.
- Karnataka Minister KS Eshwarappa, who is from the district alleged that "Musalman goondas" were behind Harsha's murder.
- He said, "recently DK Shivakumar (state Congress President) had made an instigating statement that at a government school premises, the national flag was lowered to hoist Bhagwa (saffron) flag and 50 lakh saffron flags were brought from Surat in lorries and were distributed among students. This had given abetment to Muslim goondas. We will not allow such goondagiri in Shivamogga and will suppress it."
- According to Shivamogga Deputy Commissioner Selvamani, "already section 144 has been imposed (for two days). Additional Director General of Police (ADGP) himself is monitoring the maintenance of law and order... we are doing all that we can and bring the situation under control at the earliest."
- Earlier, hundreds of people and Hindu workers took part in the funeral procession that was joined by Eshwarappa, who also the local MLA and Shivamogga MP B Y Raghavendra.
- The administration had declared holiday for schools and colleges in the city today, while shops and commercial establishments remained shut in parts of the city.
- In response to a question, Jnanendra said, Harsha was a Hindu karyakarta and there is information that there were a couple of cases against him, and earlier too he had been attacked.
- Congress leader Shivakumar said there is information that the murder might have been due to personal issue. "There is such information, such reports are there in the media also, we don't know. Guilty must be punished and justice should be given to the family of the deceased," he said.
(With inputs from PTI, IANS)
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