MANGALURU: After arresting eight people in connection with the murder of Hindutva activist and rowdy sheeter Suhas Shetty, police made a significant breakthrough, revealing a deep-rooted revenge plot as the motive behind the crime.
The police commissioner stated that the murder stemmed from a long-standing rivalry involving the prime accused Abdul Safwan and one of the co-accused, Adil Mehroof. Both reportedly harbored personal grudges against Shetty and came together to settle old scores.
According to preliminary investigation, Abdul had been severely assaulted by Shetty’s associates in 2023. Facing continued threats from Shetty and his group, Abdul is said to have orchestrated a plan to eliminate him.
Police also allege that he received both financial and logistical support from Adil.
Adil, the brother of Fazil, who was murdered in 2022—a case in which Suhas Shetty was named as one of the accused. Seeking vengeance for his brother’s death, Adil reportedly agreed to pay Rs 5 lakh to Abdul and his associates to carry out the murder. Out of the promised amount, Rs 3 lakh was paid upfront.
Those arrested have been identified as Abdul Safwan (29), Niyaz (25), Mohammed Musammir (32), Kalandar Shafi (29), Adil Mehroof (27), Mohammed Rizwan (28), Nagaraj M (20), and Ranjith (19). According to the police, they were not affiliated with any gang.
On May 1, after pinpointing Shetty’s exact location, the assailants used a white car and a pickup truck to intercept his SUV near Kinnipadavu Junction in Bajpe. They opened fire and brutally attacked him with deadly weapons. Shetty later succumbed to his injuries at AJ Hospital.
The authorities have confiscated the car, SUV and weapons involved in the criminal act. The police have established the identity of individuals who owned the car and the pickup vehicle. When questioned, the police commissioner confirmed that the individuals wearing burqa, who were captured in video footage near the incident location, were identified as family members of Niyaz, one of the co-accused who has been apprehended.
Anupam Agrawal, the city police commissioner, said the eight men were arrested based on forensic analysis of the viral video clips that originated from the crime scene.
