Tension prevailed in Shivamogga city on Monday following the murder of Hindutva activist Harsha, 28, late on on Sunday night.
Monday saw shops being vandalised, houses pelted with stones, and several two-wheelers and luggage carriers being damaged or gutted as the funeral procession of Harsha turned violent. The processing, held despite prohibitory orders, was led by RDPR Minister K.S. Eshwarappa and Shivamogga MP B.Y. Raghavendra.
While Home Minister Araga Jnanendra said three people have so far been arrested for the murder, the police later told in a release that two people had been arrested. They have been identified as Khasif, 30, and Syed Nadim, 20, both residents of Shivamogga. Mr. Eshwarappa and Central Minister Shobha Karandlaje have sought NIA probe into the murder.
Shivamogga Deputy Commissioner Selvamani R. has declared a holiday for schools and colleges in Shivamogga city on Tuesday as well.
Third murder
This was the third murder reported in the city within 24 hours. Two youths, Salim, 22, and Abdulla, 23, of Sulebailu were murdered on Saturday night.
Harsha, involved in the activities of Vishwa Hindu Parishat and Bajrang Dal over the last four to five years, was a resident of Kumbara Beedi at Seegehatti in the city. He was stabbed by a group of unknown people near Kamat Petrol Bunk on N.T. Road at 9.30 p.m. on Sunday. The accused, according to eye-witnesses, were in a car and fled the place soon after stabbing Harsha with lethal weapons. The injured Harsha was rushed to Mc Gann Hospital, where he succumbed later.
Harsha is survived by father Nagaraj Jingade, a tailor, mother Padma and two sisters. He had been assisting a civil engineer in recent months. Mr. Jnanendra told the media that there were cases registered against him as well in the past. According to the police, there were four cases with regard to clashes and objectionable comments on social media.
Big crowd at hospital
Within minutes after the news of his death spread, hundreds of Hindutva activists assembled at the hospital. There were instances of stone-pelting and damaging bikes in several parts of the city at night.
Mr. Selvamani and Superintendent of Police B.M. Laxmi Prasad did city rounds and called in additional police forces from neighbouring districts to handle the situation. The DC declared a holiday for schools and colleges on the day, besides clamping prohibitory orders in Shivamogga and Bhadravathi cities.
Mr. Jnanendra visited the family members of the deceased at Mc Gann Hospital. He assured them that the police would arrest the people involved in the murder and ensure they were punished. The Minister said the police had clues about the perpetrators of the crime and would arrest them very soon. He also made it clear that so far there was no information about involvement of any particular organisation in the incident.
On Monday afternoon, as the vehicle carrying his body left the hospital, hundreds of activists followed the vehicle on bikes. They carried saffron flags and raised slogans praising Harsha. After a stop over at his residence, the procession continued up to Rotary Crematorium.
Violent procession
Along the procession, the participants threw stones at vehicles, shops at Seegehatti, Azad Nagar and other nearby localities. As many as five bikes in Seegehatti and 10 more bikes and two goods carriers were set ablaze at Azad Nagar. Several houses and petty shops were damaged in the stone-pelting. When the procession passed by Azad Nagar, it is said that stones were thrown at the procession as well. The police resorted to lathi-charge to disperse the mob. Two people were injured in the stone pelting.
ADGP S. Murugan, who was in Shivamogga to monitor the situation, told the media that probe was still continuing and he could not divulge more details about the crime.
