Over a month after RSS activist Sharath Madivala was brutally murdered in Dakshina Kannada’s Bantwal taluk, the Western Range Police have apprehended two suspects in the case.
According to Dakshina Kannada SP, Sudheer Kumar Reddy, two men were nabbed in connection with the case late on Monday night.
A seven-member investigative team, led by IGP Harishekaran, nabbed 36-year-old Abdul Shafi alias Shapi and 30-year-old Khaleelullah Khan.
“Abdul Shafi was arrested from Sajipumunnur village in Bantwal taluk, while Khallelullah, a Popular Front of India leader, was arrested in Chamarajanagara district,” SP Reddy added.
The accused were produced before the local magistrate and have been remanded to police custody.
“There are six more accused in the case. We will be able to reveal the motive for Sharath Madivala’s murder only after all of them are nabbed. We expect to make arrests within a couple of days,” the SP said.
28-year-old Sharath Madivala ran a laundry service on BC Road in Bantwal taluk, and was brutally attacked by a group of men as he left his workplace on the night of July 4.
Following the attack, Sharath was admitted to the Mangaluru’s AJ Hospital, where he succumbed to his injuries on July 7.
The entire district was tense as several incidents of stone pelting and destruction of property were reported during Sharath Madivala’s funeral processing. Prohibitory orders were imposed under section 144 in the entire district for 42 days.
Preliminary investigation has revealed that Sharath was stabbed as a retaliatory attack on SDPI activist Kalayi Ashraf.
SDPI’s Ammunje unit President Ashraf Kalayi was brutally hacked to death in broad daylight at Benjanapadavu in Dakshina Kannada district by several bike-borne assailants on June 21.
Communal tensions prevailed in the district following Ashraf’s murder and the police had clamped Section 144 in the entire district till June 27.
According to the police, Divyaraj and Bharat, who are members of Hindu outfits, are the prime accused in the case. IGP Harishekharan said that the duo had hatched a plan to eliminate Ashraf a month ago and took help from five others to execute it.