NIA chargesheets 11 accused in brutal killing of Hindutva worker in Karnataka

New Delhi: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has chargesheeted 11 arrested accused for involvement in the brutal targeted killing of Bajrang Dal member Suhas Shetty in Karnataka.

The chargesheet was filed before the NIA special court in Bengaluru, Karnataka, on Wednesday, according to a statement issued by the NIA.

Shetty was brutally hacked to death by seven people armed with lethal weapons, including swords and machetes, on May 1 this year, it said on Thursday.

The shocking targeted killing was carried out in full public view to instil fear and to spread terror in the society, the NIA said.

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NIA, which took over the case on the directives of the Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India, found a larger conspiracy behind the targeted killing.

NIA further found during investigations that Shetty’s activities were meticulously tracked over several months as part of the elaborate conspiracy, and on the fateful day, seven accused in two cars trailed his Innova car, the statement said.

The accused caused a deliberate accident on the Innova car driven by Shetty, followed by intentional ramming by another vehicle; thereby blocking all escape routes for him and his friends, it said.

Shetty was forced to flee on foot and was chased and hacked to death by the assailants.

According to NIA investigations in the case, the terror plot was hatched by accused Abdul Safwan Safwan alias Kalavaru Safwan alias Chopu Safwan, a former member of the banned Popular Front of India (PFI), along with Niyaz alias Niya, Mohammed Musamir alias Mahamed Musameer alias Mohammad alias Muzammil, Noushad alias Vamanjoor Noushad alias Chotte Noushad alias Chotu, another former Karnataka Forum for Dignity (KFD) and PFI member, and Adil Maharoof.

Accused Maharoof had provided the funds, which were used to recruit other accused on the promise of payment or by exploiting any previous existing enmity with the victim, the NIA said.

All these five accused, along with Kalandar Shafi alias Mande Shafi, M Nagaraja alias Naga alias Appu, Ranjith, Mahammed Rizwan alias Rijju, Azaruddin alias Azar alias Ajju and Abdul Khader alias Noufal, are named in the chargesheet filed on Wednesday, the statement said, adding that investigation against another arrested accused, Abdul Razak, is underway.

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