M’luru police book suo motu case against VHP leader

Mangaluru: The Mangaluru city police have registered a suo motu case against VHP leader for making a provocative speech regarding the killings of Deepak Rao and Abdul Basheer.

A case under Sections 153A (Promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion, race, place of birth, residence, language, etc., and doing acts prejudicial to maintenance of harmony) and Section 116 of IPC (Abatement of offence punishable with imprisonment—if offence be not committed) against Jagadish Shenava, district working president of Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP). Police sources said that the investigation has been taken up by the Mangaluru North police.

Speaking at a book release programme on Sunday, Jagadish Shenava had said, "Basheer was murdered in retaliation to the murder of Deepak Poojary. Media reported that an innocent Muslim Basheer was killed following the murder of BJP worker Deepak Rao. What we are saying is that an innocent Deepak Rao was murdered before an innocent Basheer was killed. As the president of Vishwa Hindu Parishad, I am not worried regarding the murder of Basheer. The context is the same. In retaliation to the murder of Ashraf, an innocent Sharath Madiwala was killed. I am not scared of my statement or if anyone files a case against me for this statement.”

It may be recalled that BJP worker Deepak Rao was brutally murdered at Katipalla on January 3. On the same day, to avenge his death, Abdul Basheer, a hotelier, was murdered at Kottara.