The Karnataka police on Saturday arrested six persons for allegedly conspiring to kill a Muslim man in an attempt to avenge the murder of the Bajrang Dal worker on February 20.
The 13 accused in the case belong to the Hindu community and conspired to kill a Muslim man, Aslam, to avenge the death of a member of the right-wing outfit, Harsha Hindu who was reportedly a victim of gang rivalries.
The Karnataka police on Thursday had registered a First Information Report against the 13 involved in the case of which six were arrested, as of Saturday morning.
“Aslam and Harsha had some enmity and they wanted to take revenge. Hence, he was targeted. The case has been registered at the Doddapet police station,” a police official told Siasat.com.
The accused have been booked under sections 143 (Whoever is a member of an unlawful assembly), 115 (Abetment of offence punishable with death or imprisonment for life), 118 (Concealing design to commit offence punishable with death or imprisonment for life) 120B (Punishment of criminal conspiracy) 307 (Attempt to murder) and 149 (Every member of unlawful assembly guilty of offence committed in prosecution of common object) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).
Harsha, a Bajrang Dal member, employed as a tailor, was stabbed repeatedly by unidentified persons. Despite medical assistance, Harsha succumbed to the wounds on February 20. The police had arrested three people in connection with the murder case.
Events that followed Harsha’s death:
Following the murder of Harsha, riots broke out in various pockets of the Shivamogga district in Karnataka. The specific target of the riots was localities where chiefly Muslims reside.
While there was no clarity on who killed Harsha, Bajrang Dal cadres and BJP leaders in the state seem to believe that Muslim individuals were responsible for the murder.
After the murder, several vehicles in the area were set on fire, and police were compelled to deploy heavy artillery to prevent the situation from escalating. The administration has imposed curbs on public gatherings and ordered that schools and colleges will stay shut.
