The Karnataka government has turned over the investigation into the Bajrang Dal activist Harsha murder case in the state’s Shivamogga city to the National Investigation Agency (NIA), reports The Indian Express. 26-year-old Harsha was brutally hacked to death near Kamat Petrol Pump on NT Road in Shivamogga, Karnataka on February 20 over a Facebook post in connection to the hijab controversy.
According to reports citing police sources, the NIA filed a formal complaint in the case of the murder of the Bajrang Dal worker in a New Delhi court on Wednesday after being assigned the probe.
Karnataka Police invokes UAPA charges in Harsha murder case, suspects ‘larger conspiracy
On March 2, the Karnataka police had pressed charges under the stringent Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act against 10 people arrested in connection with the murder.
UAPA is invoked in cases involving threats to national security and national integrity. Since the Karnataka police are “suspecting a larger conspiracy behind the murder” of Harsha it has decided to invoke UAPA against the accused namely, Mahammad Qasif (Kasif), Syed Nadeem, Rihan Sharief, Asif Ullah Khan, Abdul Afnan, Nihan, Faraz Pasha, Abdul Khadar Jilan, Abdul Roshan and Jafar Sadiq.
Under the UAPA, police gain custody of a suspect for 30 days and have 180 days instead of 90 days to file a charge sheet. The law’s stipulations also make it difficult for an accused person to obtain bail.
Harsh murder case
Harsha was stabbed to death on the night of February 20 near Kamat petrol bunk in Karnataka’s Shivamogaa district by a gang of Muslim youths. He worked as a tailor and was from Seegehatti. Harsha was a member of the Hindu organisation Bajrang Dal, and he was seen wearing saffron shawls to demand uniformity in school and college dress codes.
A friend of the Bajrang Dal activist alleged Harsha had been under surveillance for the past few weeks and that the murder was a “well-planned plot.”
The cold-blooded murder of the Bajrang Dal activist had provoked a wave of protests across the area, forcing the district administration to impose a curfew and close educational institutions.
