The city of Mangaluru is gripped by fear and tension after the shocking murder of Suhas Shetty, a rowdy sheeter known for his criminal background and one of the prime accused in the 2022 murder of Fazil in Surathkal. The streets of Kinnikambla, Bajpe, turned into a crime scene on the night of May 1, when Suhas was hacked to death by a group of men whose identities remain unknown.

“Yesterday late evening, a man named Suhas Shetty was murdered. There was a tense situation in the city after that. We have made suitable arrangements. Post-mortem is underway, cremation arrangements will be made. We request the citizens of Mangaluru to maintain peace. We have identified the accused, our teams are on to them." These were the words of R Hitendra, ADGP (Law & Order), Mangaluru, soon after the incident unfolded.

The violent attack happened around 8:27 pm, confirmed by Mangaluru City Police Commissioner Anupam Agrawal. Suhas was travelling in a car bearing the number KA-12-MB-3731, accompanied by five people — Sanjay, Prajwal, Anvith, Latheesh, and Shashank. Their journey was disrupted when a Swift car and a pickup truck blocked their path. The attackers, a group of five to six men, pulled Suhas from the vehicle and slashed him with machetes, leaving him seriously injured. He was taken immediately to AJ Hospital, but despite efforts, he could not survive.

The entire sequence of violence was caught on CCTV, a clip of which has now gone viral. The footage shows Suhas lying on the road, helpless, as the attackers strike him again and again with sharp weapons. A crowd of bystanders watches the gruesome assault, stunned and silent, unable or unwilling to intervene.

In response, security has been beefed up throughout Mangaluru. Checkposts have been placed, and several police teams have been formed to pursue the killers. The case has officially been filed at the Bajpe Police Station, and investigations are underway from multiple directions — one of them being political rivalry.

Police officials are also looking into whether Suhas's murder was a continuation of previous hostilities or if it’s connected to a recent mob lynching of a Kerala migrant worker in Kudupu. The timing and the savage nature of this killing have revived old fears of targeted political violence in the volatile coastal belt.

Karnataka Home Minister G Parameshwara assured the public that the law will take its course. “Four teams have been formed to nab the accused. We will not spare anyone. There is no question of sparing anyone. This is not a question of failure in law and order. We have maintained peace in Karnataka," he stated, asserting that the system remains firm and active.

The Mangaluru police, in their official statement, reinforced their commitment: “A case is being registered at Bajpe Police Station, and multiple teams have been formed to nab the accused at the earliest. Mangaluru City Police is committed to ensuring swift justice and maintaining law and order."

As part of the administrative action, Inspector Shivakumar, Head Constable Chandra P, and Constable Yallalinga from the Mangaluru rural police station have been suspended in relation to the incident.

The political heat intensified further when BJP leader and Bengaluru MP PC Mohan shared the video of the murder and remarked: “Deeply saddened by the brutal killing of Hindu karyakarta Suhas Shetty by suspected jihadi elements in Mangaluru. Such heinous acts are a grim reminder of the deteriorating law and order in Karnataka. My prayers are with his family. Om Shanti."

More information has now come to light about the background of Suhas Shetty, whose killing has thrown Mangaluru into a state of high tension. As per police records, Suhas was no stranger to crime, with at least five criminal cases pending against him. He had a long history with the law and had earned notoriety as one of the prime accused in the murder of Fazil, a 23-year-old youth who was hacked to death in Surathkal shortly after the shocking killing of BJP Yuva Morcha leader Praveen Nettaru in July 2022. Fazil’s murder had triggered massive outrage, and investigators had linked it to operatives from the Popular Front of India (PFI), marking it as a case of retaliatory violence.

Amidst the unrest, BJP MP Nalin Kumar Kateel visited the hospital where Suhas’s body was kept. Meanwhile, the Mangaluru administration has taken preventive steps to avoid any untoward incidents. Prohibitory orders have been imposed in Mangaluru between 2nd May and 6th May, placing curbs on public gatherings and movement to maintain calm in the region.

Police have now zeroed in on the individuals involved in Suhas’s murder. Additional Director General of Police (Law and Order) Hithendra R confirmed the progress in the investigation. “We have got to know about the culprits, their names and other details. Action is being taken to arrest them at the earliest.” Following orders from Karnataka Home Minister G Parameshwara, Hithendra made his way to Mangaluru to personally oversee the operation.

Answering media queries, Hithendra made a remark that struck a chord with many in the region. “If you see Mangaluru's history, none of this comes across as unnatural, and police will mercilessly take action against those involved.” The remark highlighted how violence has unfortunately been a recurring theme in Mangaluru’s socio-political landscape. As part of efforts to contain the unrest, Mangaluru Police have enforced prohibitory orders under Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, effective from Friday until 6 May, aimed at controlling the situation and preventing flare-ups.

Seeking to reassure residents, Hithendra made a public appeal. “Police department requests cooperation from everyone in maintaining peace and order.” He further cautioned against believing unverified news and fake social media posts. “We appeal to people not to heed any rumour. Police will update the factual information on the respective social media platforms.”

Meanwhile, arrangements are being made for Suhas Shetty’s funeral. His family has expressed the wish to conduct the last rites in Bantwal following the post-mortem. The police have taken this into account and deployed adequate security for the funeral ceremony. However, the possibility of a funeral procession has prompted concern. “If there is a procession ahead of cremation, what may happen we cannot guess. Local police have been authorised to take a decision regarding any procession,” the top officer added.

To maintain peace and enforce law and order, 22 Karnataka State Reserve Police (KSRP) platoons, five Superintendents of Police, and over a thousand police personnel have been deployed across Mangaluru. The presence of such a large force underlines the seriousness with which authorities are handling the situation.

The incident has also brought back memories of how the previous BJP-led government under Basavaraj Bommai had attempted to counter similar violence in 2022. The government had proposed the formation of a special anti-terror squad to combat organised and politically motivated killings. Back then, Bommai had stated: “To decimate outfits that kill people, we need a commando force with intelligence and training. We’ve decided to set up a special anti-terrorist squad." While the statement was made in context of the PFI ban, it also hinted at a broader effort to monitor and counter retaliatory crimes with political motives.

The murder of Fazil in 2022 had made national headlines. Police investigations had found that it was allegedly in retaliation for the killing of RSS worker and Yuva Morcha member Praveen Nettaru, who was hacked to death by bike-borne assailants near his shop on July 26, 2022. His murder had shaken the region and sparked a series of communal confrontations. According to claims by right-wing groups, Fazil was attacked after the killing of Masood, another individual whose death just days earlier had created a tense atmosphere in Dakshina Kannada.

Investigations into Nettaru’s murder had confirmed radical links to PFI, and many believed that these cycles of revenge killings were rooted in an expanding web of communal animosity. Now, with Suhas Shetty’s murder, the fear of more unrest looms large. Police remain on high alert across Mangaluru, keeping watch and working rapidly to trace the assailants before more violence can erupt.