On Friday, Bantwal police apprehended two additional suspects tied to the murder of Abdul Rahiman, a local driver. The arrested individuals were identified as 27-year-old Sumith Acharya from Tenkabellur and 23-year-old Raviraj from Badagabellur in Bantwal. Their detention brings the total number of arrested individuals in the case to five.
Rahiman, 32, a driver and secretary at the neighborhood Juma Masjid, was viciously assaulted along with his associate, Kalandar Shafi, in Irakodi, Kuriyala village — an area under Bantwal Rural police limits — on Tuesday. Rahiman died due to severe injuries, while Kalandar is currently receiving medical attention at a private facility in Mangaluru.
District in-charge minister Dinesh Gundu Rao visited Rahiman’s residence in Kolthamajal on Saturday to express his condolences to the grieving family. Following the tragedy, the Dakshina Kannada police heightened surveillance on online platforms to curb the spread of provocative content that could fuel communal discord.
Three cases related to the dissemination of inflammatory social media messages were registered — two at Venur police station and one at Punjalkatte — on Friday. Dakshina Kannada Superintendent of Police, Arun K, issued a stern warning, stating that those attempting to destabilize communal peace via digital platforms will face firm legal consequences. “We are addressing such offenses with the highest level of seriousness,” he affirmed.
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