Mangaluru: The Union Ministry of Home Affairs has handed over the investigation into the recent murder of Hindu leader Suhas Shetty in Karnataka’s Dakshina Kannada district to the National Investigation Agency (NIA), in what is being seen as a significant move to address growing concerns over religiously motivated violence in the coastal region.

Suhas Shetty was brutally attacked and killed on May 1in Mangaluru taluk near Kinnigoli, allegedly by a group of six men belonging to the Muslim community. The incident, which sent shockwaves across the communally sensitive coastal belt of Karnataka, had sparked calls for a deeper, more thorough investigation, with several leaders expressing fears of an organised conspiracy.

Taking early initiative, Dakshina Kannada MP Capt. Brijesh Chowta was the first to urge Union Home Minister Amit Shah to transfer the case to the NIA, citing the possibility of radical networks operating behind the scenes. The BJP leader welcomed the Centre’s decision and thanked the Home Minister for acting swiftly.

“This is not merely a local law and order issue. There could be a broader agenda at play, and only a central agency like the NIA has the resources and reach to investigate such matters thoroughly,” Capt. Chowta said in a statement.

The murder of Suhas Shetty is the latest in a series of violent incidents in the region, which has witnessed periodic outbreaks of communal tension over the past decade. The involvement of a central agency is expected to bring national attention to the pattern of targeted killings and help unearth deeper motives if any.

While local police had made multiple arrests in connection with the case, questions remained about the broader planning and possible ideological motivations. With the NIA stepping in, investigators will now examine whether there were any links to extremist groups or cross-border influences.

The agency is expected to officially take over the case in the coming days.

It could be recalled here that the NIA had also taken up the murder of Praveen Nettaru a top functionery of Youth wing of the BJP following which the case has reached a significant stage. Even in the case of Shetty murder, the BJP and the Hindu groups had accused that a certain mole in the Police department had allegedly checked the car of Suhas Shetty just minutes before the attack and made sure that his car was not carrying any weapons. Minutes after this check the attack was made and he was brutally killed. The BJP and Hindu activists told Hans India that all these will now come into light and there will be justice to the slain leader