On May 13, Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI) candidate Shafi Bellare from Puttur lost his deposit in Karnataka Assembly Elections 2023. Bellare is one of the accused of murdering Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BJYM) leader Praveen Nettaru. SDPI is the political wing of the banned Islamic terrorist organisation Popular Front of India (PFI).
Bellare was arrested by National Investigation Agency (NIA) in connection to Nettaru’s murder case. As per the chargesheet filed by the investigation agency, Bellare did recce of Praveen Nettaru’s home and provided information about activities. When the possibility of Bellare contesting the elections was announced in February 2023 by SDPI, they claimed he was “falsely accused” in the case. SDPI’s state general secretary had said, “He has done nothing wrong. He is politically trapped and sent to jail in this case. His name is there in our first list of probable candidates.” Later, his name was announced as a candidate for the Puttur seat.
BJP strongly objected to SDPI fielding Bellare from the Puttur’s seat in Karnataka. BJP leader S Prakash had said, “It is disgusting that a murder accused is announced as the candidate for assembly poll. The SDPI and PFI are terror and murderous organisations. The blatant support of the murder accused who is behind the bar; the SDPI has proved that their colour has not changed and they remain an anti-social element.”
As per ECI’s website, Bellare got less than 3,000 votes. The main competition in the Puttur constituency was between an independent candidate and Sangh leader Arun Kumar Puthila and a Congress candidate Ashok Kumar Rai. BJP votes got divided between rebel candidate Puthila and BJP candidate Asha Thimmappa.
Praveen Nettaru murder case
On July 26, 2022, a Bharatiya Janata Party Yuva Morcha (BJYM) worker Praveen Nettaru was hacked to death by unidentified assailants. Late evening, the killers came on a bike to Bellari, Dakshina Kannada of Karnataka, and attacked Nettaru with sharp weapons. Praveen Nettaru, who ran a poultry business, was returning home when the attack happened. The assailants escaped after the attack. The Hindu leader was rushed to the hospital, but he could not be saved.
Following Nettaru’s murder, unrest broke out in the Dakshina Kannada district in a number of locations. Soon after, state Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai turned over the Praveen Nettaru murder case to the NIA. In January 2023, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) filed a chargesheet against 20 members of the banned Islamist outfit Popular Front of India (PFI) for murdering Karnataka BJYM leader Praveen Nettaru. The NIA informed a special court that Nettaru was murdered by a killer squad of the PFI as part of its plan to instil terror into a “specific community” (Hindus) and further their agenda of “Islamic rule in India by 2047.”
The chargesheet was submitted by the anti-terror organization before a Bengaluru special court under sections 120B, 153A, 302, and 34 of the Indian Penal Code, as well as sections 16, 18, and 20 of the 1967 Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act and Section 25(1)(a) of the Arms Act.
