Bengaluru, Aug 4 (IANS) Strongly criticising the murder of a youth in Koppal district, the BJP has alleged that the pattern of killings, previously seen in coastal Karnataka, is now emerging in the northern parts of the state. The party further demanded that the case be handed over to the National Investigation Agency (NIA).

Addressing a press conference on Wednesday, Leader of the Opposition (LoP) in the Legislative Council, Chalavadi Narayanaswamy, stated, “We have been alleging that the law and order situation in the state has completely collapsed. The thick-skinned Siddaramaiah-led government has either not woken up to the reality or has become indifferent to it. The number of people being hacked to death is rising in the coastal region, and now this dangerous trend is spreading from Bidar in North Karnataka to Bengaluru.”

“In Koppal, on August 3, Gavisiddappa Nayak, hailing from the Scheduled Tribe community, was brutally murdered. Sadiq Hussain and six others hacked him to death in front of a mosque. The reason behind the murder is believed to be his relationship with a Muslim girl. Reports say the two had eloped. The police had called both parties and counseled them, after which the boy and girl had returned to their respective homes,” he stated.

“Sadiq committed the murder in the middle of the city, in front of a mosque. The accused came from behind and beheaded him with swords,” Narayanaswamy said.

“This murder was carried out in the same manner as the killing of Suhas Shetty in Mangaluru. A day before the murder, the accused had posted a video on Instagram brandishing a sword. The police failed to notice it, despite the fact that he was already on their radar. He had also posted videos smoking weed,” he added.

“On Tuesday, BJP leader Sriramulu visited the family, as the boy belonged to his community. Shockingly, even the FIR had not been filed by then. After his visit, social media was filled with mocking comments ridiculing Sriramulu’s visit to the grieving family. What were the police doing?,” he said.

“In total, six people were involved in the crime and four have been arrested so far. The girl, who played a central role in the chain of events, has not been taken into custody. The district in-charge minister has shown no interest in the case. There are reports that the local MLA is supporting the accused,” he alleged.

“We will launch a major agitation. Senior BJP leader Sriramulu is taking the lead. A huge protest will be staged on August 8 or 10,” he said.

He emphasised that if the trend of violence is to be stopped from spreading further into North Karnataka, the Koppal murder case must be handed over to the NIA for a thorough investigation.

“We expected the Chief Minister to take action. He was scheduled to visit Koppal today, but his trip was cancelled, likely because he would have had to face tough questions about the murder. He escapes every time such incidents happen. The victim’s family must be given protection,” he urged.

–IANS

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