Bengaluru, 9 May

Karnataka Assembly Speaker UT Khader said he has no objection if the the National Investigation Agency (NIA) probes the murder of Hindutva activist Suhas Shetty. This comes amid mounting pressure from the BJP for NIA probe.

Speaking to reporters in Mangaluru on Friday, Khader said, "Let the ruling and Opposition parties discuss. If the government decides to transfer the case to the NIA, we have no issue." He reiterated that arrests have already been made. "Every angle must be investigated. I don’t support wrongdoers," he added.

Khader's response comes after Opposition Leader R Ashok led a BJP delegation to Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot, demanding the case be handed over to the NIA. Ashok alleged that the Congress government was shielding the accused and linked the killing to an international contract funded by compensation given to a Muslim youth’s family. He accused Khader of defending the family, despite police claims of their involvement. The Speaker however called these allegations baseless.

Ashok further claimed that the case is part of a larger terror-linked plot with Pakistan connections.

On 3 May, Mangaluru police arrested eight people linked tothe murder of Hindutva activist Shetty on 1 May. A probe revealed that the main accused, Abdul Safwan, was assaulted by Shetty’s associates in 2023, leading to a case at Surathkal Police station. In retaliation, Safwan, facing threats from Shetty, conspired with others to kill him. It is alleged that Adil Mehroof, brother of Fazil (murdered in 2022, with Shetty as an accused), funded the murder.