NIA Chargesheets 11 for Murder of Ex-Bajrang Dal Member Suhas Shetty
The attack, investigators say was designed to spread fear and terror in the community
The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has filed a chargesheet against 11 men accused of planning and executing the murder of former Bajrang Dal member Suhas Shetty in Karnataka, an attack that investigators say was designed to spread fear and terror in the community.
The chargesheet, submitted before the NIA Special Court in Bengaluru, outlines how Shetty was allegedly followed, cornered, and killed by a group of armed assailants in a coordinated ambush on May 1. According to the agency, seven men trailed Shetty’s Innova in two vehicles, rammed into it, and blocked his escape route before attacking him with swords and machetes.
“Shetty was forced to flee on foot and was hacked to death by the assailants,” the NIA said in its statement on Thursday, calling the killing a “brutal targeted attack” carried out in public view to “instil fear and spread terror in society.”
The NIA took over the case on the direction of the Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), which had indicated that the killing might involve a larger conspiracy and issues of national security. The investigation has revealed links to former members of the banned Popular Front of India (PFI) and the Karnataka Forum for Dignity (KFD).
According to the chargesheet, Shetty’s activities were tracked for several months before the attack. The agency named Abdul Safwan alias Kalavaru Safwan alias Chopu Safwan, a former PFI member, as the alleged mastermind. He is accused of conspiring with Niyaz alias Niya, Mohammed Musamir alias Muzammil, Noushad alias Vamanjoor Noushad alias Chotte Noushad -- also a former PFI and KFD member -- and Adil Maharoof.
Investigators said Maharoof financed the plot, providing money to recruit additional attackers, either by promising payment or by exploiting existing enmity toward Shetty.
Others named in the chargesheet include Kalandar Shafi alias Mande Shafi, M Nagaraja alias Naga alias Appu, Ranjith, Mahammed Rizwan alias Rijju, Azaruddin alias Ajju, and Abdul Khader alias Noufal. The agency added that its investigation into another accused, Abdul Razak, remains ongoing.
The Ministry of Home Affairs said in a notification that “the Central Government is of the opinion that a Scheduled Offence under the National Investigation Agency Act, 2008, has been committed... and it is required to be investigated by the National Investigation Agency.”
Initially, Karnataka police officials pointed out that the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) has not yet been invoked, prompting questions about jurisdiction and the timing of the NIA’s intervention. However, the government handed over the case since it involved terror.
Police said Shetty was travelling with five associates in the Kinnikambla area of Mangaluru when his car was intercepted by a group of men who dragged him out and hacked him to death in front of his companions.
Shetty’s murder triggered widespread anger in coastal Karnataka, where communal tensions have periodically surfaced. Protests were held by Bajrang Dal and Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) leaders, who called the killing a targeted attack on Hindu activists. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) also accused the Congress government of failing to ensure the safety of right-wing workers.
Following the unrest, authorities imposed prohibitory orders under Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS). So far, twelve people have been arrested in connection with the case.
