SIT Probe Sought into the ‘Communal’ Murders in Dakshina Kannada District

The Dakshina Kannada district minority cell of the Congress has demanded a reinvestigation by a special investigation team (SIT) into the murders over “communal” enmity in the district last year.

In a letter to Chief Minister Siddramaiah through Karnataka Assembly Speaker U T Khader, who represents Mangaluru, minority cell president K K Shahul Hameed said the culprits behind the murders of three Muslim youths should be charged under Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), after a proper reinvestigation.

Hameed said all communal murders in the district should be reinvestigated and a SIT should be formed for the purpose. Compensation should be provided to the relatives of the Muslim youths on the lines of the financial support extended to the family of slain BJP youth wing leader Praveen Nettaru, he said.

Welcoming the decision to reinstate Nettaru’s wife in the government job, he said the kin of the families of the slain Masood, Fazil and Abdul Jaleel in the district should also be provided with jobs.

The family members of the three victims have also demanded compensation, saying the previous BJP government had shown discrimination towards the families of Muslim youths who were murdered over communal enmity.

Masood of Kalenja in Bellare, Mohammed Fazil from Mangalapete in Surathkal and Abdul Jaleel of Katipalla were murdered last year allegedly by right wing Hindu activists.

Masood was attacked at Kalenja in Bellare, a week before the murder of Nettaru on July 26, 2022. He succumbed to injuries on July 21. The then Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai had visited Nettaru’s residence on July 28. On the same day Mohammed Fazil was fatally attacked in Surathkal.

Abdul Jaleel was hacked to death in Krishnapura, Katipalla in Surathkal on December 24, 2022.

Fazil’s mother Saramma said representatives of the previous government had not visited their houses nor did they provide any compensation.

Fazil’s father Umar Farook said his son was murdered to avenge the death of Nettaru and that he is waiting to get justice for him.

(This story has not been edited by News18 staff and is published from a syndicated news agency feed – PTI)