Protests broke out in various parts of Dakshina Kannada on Wednesday, July 27 over the death of a BJP Yuva Morcha member who was hacked to death by unidentified bike-borne assailants in Bellare village in the district's Sullia taluk. The Dakshina Kannada police have detained ten people in connection with his murder even as Hindutva groups called for a bandh in Puttur, Sullia, Kadaba taluks and staged protests seeking action against those involved.
Karnataka Home Minister Araga Jnanendra informed the media that ten people have been detained in connection with Praveen Nettaru's death and the probe is still on. "Karnataka police have begun search operations in Kerala. DGP Sood is already in contact with the Kerala government and would conduct a joint operation," he said told the media. This comes as the suspects who attacked Praveen were on a motorcycle with a Kerala registration number.
Visuals showed protesters gherao and pushing the car in which BJP State President Nalin Kumar Kateel and Dakshina Kannada district incharge V Sunil Kumar, were traveling. They were going towards Praveen's native place in their car. The crowd also chanted, "Down down BJP" before being dispersed by the police who had to resort to lathicharge. The visuals show police running after the crowd and dispersing it by charging with batons. One of the protesters is seen standing against the police and saying, "Hit me, hit me." TOI reported that one person sustained injuries after the police resorted to lathicharge.
BJP Yuva Morcha members in Chikkamagaluru submitted mass resignations on July 27, to protest against Praveen’s murder, claiming that the BJP-led state government has failed to save the lives of party members.
Some areas in Dakshina Kannada district reported incidents of stone pelting at government buses. At Bolwar, a bus travelling from Puttur to Mangaluru was damaged in stone pelting. Meanwhile, activists from Sangh organisations took the body of the deceased BJYM worker in an ambulance procession to Nettaru. Hundreds of young activists belonging to various Hindu organisations gathered at Bellare shouting slogans "we want justice."
Section 144 of the CrPC has been imposed in Dakshina Kannada's Puttur taluk on Wednesday and Thursday. The order is effective from 6 am on July 27 to 12 am on July 28. Despite the fact that Section 144 was in place, hundreds of people were seen attending the funeral procession of the murdered BJP Yuva Morcha member.
V Sunil Kumar, Dakshina Kannada district in-charge condemned the brutal murder and stated that he discussed it with the home minister and that the state government will take the matter seriously.
The attack on Praveen Nettaru took place amid the tensions in Sullia, following the murder of a man named Masood by a gang of eight people on July 19 in Kalanja village. Masood succumbed to his injuries two days later in a private hospital in Mangaluru. Hindutva groups claim that Praveen was targeted in retaliation for Masood's death.