Three alleged assailants involved in the murder of BJP Yuva Morcha activist Praveen Nettaru in Dakshina Kannada district on July 26 have been arrested.
Additional Director General of Police (Law & Order) Alok Kumar said that the arrested persons are Shiyabuddin, 33, Basheer, 29, and Riyaz, 27. With this, the total number of arrests has gone up to 10.
The arrested persons are suspected to associated with Popular Front of India (PFI) and Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI).
“We are taking police custody of the accused to gather more information about why Praveen was targeted. The political and other affiliations of the accused will be established in the charge sheet,” he said.
As many as five two-wheelers and a car had been used by the accused. The weapons and vehicles used by the assailants are yet to be seized. “It would take about three days to finish the work after we get the custody of the arrested persons. Then, we will hand over the case to National Investigation Agency (NIA),” the ADGP said.
Praveen, a BJP worker, was murdered by three bike-borne assailants near his poultry farm, off Puttur-Sullia road, at Bellare on July 26.
The murder three weeks ago had led to communal tension in this communally sensitive district in Karnataka.
The Hindu right-wing blamed the murder on Muslim fundamentalists.
