Suhas Shetty, a Hindu activist and key suspect in a murder investigation, was slain in a vicious assault near Kinnipadavu Cross in Karnataka’s Mangaluru on Thursday night.

The attack happened around 8:27 PM while Shetty was travelling with five companions—Sanjay, Prajwal, Anvith, Latheesh, and Shashank. Their vehicle was ambushed by a group of five to six men who arrived in a Swift car and a pickup truck.

The assailants reportedly dragged Shetty out of the car and hacked him using machetes and other bladed weapons. The gruesome violence was captured on camera and has since gone viral across social media platforms. Eyewitnesses confirmed the chilling nature of the assault.

Shetty was rushed to AJ Hospital in Mangaluru but could not survive the severe injuries and was declared dead shortly after arrival.

Police records reveal that Shetty had five criminal cases pending against him in jurisdictions across Mangaluru city and Dakshina Kannada district. He was the prime accused in the killing of 23-year-old Mohammed Fazil, who was murdered in Surathkal on July 28, 2022—just two days following the sensational murder of BJP youth leader Praveen Nettaru in Bellare.

Responding to the incident, BJP MP PC Mohan posted the disturbing video and stated, “Deeply pained by the ruthless murder of Hindu karyakarta Suhas Shetty, allegedly by jihadi elements. It reflects the worsening law and order situation in Karnataka. My condolences to his family. Om Shanti.”

Mangaluru police have confirmed the crime and initiated a case at Bajpe Police Station. Multiple teams are now actively pursuing the attackers.