Six held in Bajrang Dal activist's murder case

Shivamogga: Police have arrested six persons in connection with the murder of Bajrang Dal activist Harsha. The police were able to swoop down on the suspects – identified as Mohammad Qasif, Sayyed Nadeem, Asifullah Khan, Rihan Sharief, Nihan and Abdul Afnan in less than 24 hours. All of them are locals and four of them are said to have criminal background.

According to Shivamogga Superintendent of Police B.M. Laxmiprasad, four of the arrested youths attacked Harsha with machetes and cutters while the other two played accomplices. "We had taken 12 persons into custody for interrogation but they were let off as there was no evidence of their involvement in the murder," the SP said.

Two of the arrested Mohammad Qasif and Sayyad Nadeem have been remanded in judicial custody, while investigation is on against others. He indicated that there will be more arrests in this case. Four of them had a role in the riots that rocked Shivamogga city for two days. In the last two days, 18 vehicles have been destroyed and several buildings have sustained damages in stone-pelting. In Shivamogga city 2,000 policemen have been deployed. Additional Director General of Police (Law and Order) S Murugan has been camping in the city for the last three days.

Following the murder of Harsha and related riots in the city, the district administration has clamped prohibitory orders under 144 sections of the CrPc till Friday.

All educational institutions will be closed during this period, according to Deputy Commissioner of Shivamogga Selvamani.