Common thread in three BJP workers' murders: Intel

Bengaluru: Even as the Mysuru police are battling to bring the Heritage City back to normal after the brutal murder of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) worker Raju by some unknown people in Mysuru on March 13, Intelligence agencies find “uncomfortable” similarities in the murders of the Right wing workers in the state in the last six months.

“There seems to be a similarity between Raju’s murder and the sensational murder of Bajrang Dal activist Prashanth Poojary in Moodbidri on October 9 last year, in which the police have arrested nine out of 17 accused, who owe allegiance to a controversial ‘socially committed’, not-for-profit organisation for backward classes and minority community. Prima facie, both seem to be well planned and have been carried out by professional killers, who were hired by the same group of people with a common intent.  Besides, the background for alleged crimes, the motive and the modus operandi behind the attacks seem to be similar,” said an official source. 

He added the murders seem to be “politically and communally” motivated and could be driven with the larger intention to disturb the communal harmony in the state.

Poojary was a flower vendor and from his shop, which was strategically located opposite the Moodbidri bus stand, he used to keep an eye on cattle transport, which had reportedly infuriated the accused, who had planned to finish him.

In Raju’s case, it is reliably learnt that he was opposing the construction of a mosque in a controversial site in Kyatamaranahalli and had protested against the removal of VHP flags followed by the installation of a Ganapathi statue on Maharshivarathri day. “Raju’s house is next to a madrassa and he was protesting against the proposed construction of a mosque there,” the officer said.

“Besides Raju and Poojary, the death of a VHP activist in Madikeri during the Tipu Sultan’s death anniversary in November last year also needs to be investigated. The police claim that he died after falling off a 20-foot wall, but the case needs to be investigated thoroughly,” he said.

According to official sources, before killing Poojary the accused had reportedly attacked two men, Ashok and Vasu, in Handel near Moodbidri. They had later attacked one Jaya Kotiyan in nearby Permude village after mistaking them as “saffron and anti cow slaughter activists,” the officer said.

Mysuru bandh: Journalists attacked

During the communal clash witnessed during the bandh called by the BJP and VHP on Monday, few miscreants reportedly tried to assault photo-journalists Nagesh Panathale and Mohan and electronic media cameramen Puneeth and Ranjith near Mysore Medical College while they were shooting the BJP protest.

They rushed inside the medical college mortuary, where Raju’s body was kept, and requested the police to open the gates to escape from their
attackers.