The Karnataka police on Monday achieved a major breakthrough in the Mohammed Fizal murder case. According to the reports, six individuals, namely Mohan Singh (26), Srinivas Katipalla (23), Giridhar (23), Deekshith (21), Abhishek and Suhas Shetty, (29) have been arrested in connection with the case.
The police have ruled out the Shia-Sunni conflict angle that was reported as a plausible cause for the murder of Mohammed Fazil. Reports had earlier hinted that Mohammed Fazil, a practising Sunni, was killed for loving a Sunni girl.
However, the police investigation found that Fazil was a victim of a direct fallout of the murder of BJYM worker Praveen Nettaru, who was murdered by Islamists allegedly linked to PFI and SDPI, a phenomenon that is becoming dangerously common in the last few months where assertive Hindus are targeted and killed by Islamic fanatics intoxicated with supremacist beliefs and hatred towards non-Muslims.
On the Mohammed Fazil murder, police said Suhas is a history-sheeter, involved in a murder case and two attempts to murder cases. A manhunt was launched to nab the culprits, who were reportedly a part of Suhas Shetty gang.
Over the weekend, the police also impounded the car used by killers and arrested its owner Ajith Crasta, a resident of Surathkal. The vehicle was sent to Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) experts for further probe in the matter. The government had appointed an ACP-rank officer to probe the matter after the family members of the victim demanded a thorough investigation.
Following the death of Mohammed Fazil, CM Bommai had assured that the Mangaluru police had been given a free hand in probing the murder of the youth.
On Thursday last week, a 23-year-old youth named identified as Mohammed Fazil was killed by a group of assailants on Krishnapura-MRPL road, Mangaluru, Karnataka. The incident happened late in the evening on the outskirts of Mangaluru after which Sec 144 CrPC was imposed in Surathkal, Mulki, Bajpe, and Panambur areas. The deceased was a resident of Mangalpete near Surathkal and owned a clothes shop.
According to the Police, Fazil was attacked with a lethal weapon by 4-5 unidentified miscreants. A report by Deccan Herald mentioned that preliminary investigations led by the Police revealed that the deceased was murdered because he was in love with a Shia woman whereas Mohammed Fazil practised Sunni Islam. The miscreants arrived in a car near the cloth shop owned by the deceased, killed him, and fled from the spot after the murder.