Suhas Shetty murder case: All 8 accused remanded to NIA custody till July 1

In a major development in the murder case of Hindu activist Suhas Shetty, which occurred on May 1 near Kinnipadavu Junction close to Bajpe, a Bengaluru court has handed over all eight accused to the National Investigation Agency (NIA) custody till July 1.

The NIA had registered a separate FIR in connection with the case and sought custody of the accused for further investigation. Special Public Prosecutor Prasanna Kumar, appearing for the NIA, submitted a request to the court to hand over the accused for deeper interrogation. Accepting the plea, the 50th CCH Court in Bengaluru issued the custody order.

Murder Plot and Investigation
Suhas Shetty was travelling in a car when the accused rammed a pickup vehicle into his car and then attacked him brutally with lethal weapons, leading to his death on the spot. Police had arrested eight individuals in connection with the murder.

During the probe, it was revealed that Adil, brother of Fazil (who was killed allegedly in retaliation for the murder of BJP leader Praveen Nettaru), had financed the murder of Suhas Shetty. Allegations also surfaced linking the banned outfit Popular Front of India (PFI) and suggesting the involvement of foreign funding in orchestrating the crime.

Massive protests had erupted earlier, demanding the transfer of the case to the NIA. Following public and political pressure, the Union Government handed the investigation over to the central agency.

Now with the accused under its custody, the NIA is expected to intensify its investigation, focusing on the conspiracy, funding trail, and organizational backing behind the targeted killing.