In Mangaluru, Karnataka, Suhas Shetty, an accused in a high-profile murder case, was allegedly eliminated by contract killers reportedly hired by the family of a man he was accused of killing, according to investigative sources.
Shetty, who was believed to be linked with several right-wing organisations and had multiple criminal cases registered against him, was attacked and killed in broad daylight on Friday. At least five individuals armed with sharp weapons, including machetes and swords, carried out the assault on a public road, an incident captured by CCTV cameras.
During police interrogation, two of the suspects confessed that they were paid to assassinate Suhas Shetty. The murder appears to be linked to the family of Mohammed Fazil, a youth who was killed in 2022. At the time, Fazil’s murder was seen as revenge for the killing of BJP youth leader Praveen Nettaru. Shetty was named as the main accused in Fazil’s case.
Investigators were told by one assailant that he was paid ₹3 lakh, while another said he received ₹2 lakh for the job. Authorities are now verifying the truthfulness of these claims and probing the funding trail.
Concerns have arisen about whether the financial aid provided to Fazil’s family was misused to finance this killing. The Muslim Central Committee had pledged ₹30 lakh to Fazil’s family, and the Congress government later granted ₹25 lakh in compensation.
In the wake of Shetty’s murder, law enforcement imposed prohibitory orders to curb public gatherings across Mangaluru.
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