Banned organization Popular Front of India’s (PFI) political wing Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI) has announced that it will field Shafi Bellare in the upcoming Karnataka assembly elections which are scheduled to take place later year. Shafi Bellare is one of the accused in Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BJYM) leader Praveen Nettaru’s murder case.
Shafi Bellare is one among the probable three to run for the Puttur constituency in the Dakshina Kannada district from SDPI, according to an announcement made by SDPI state president Abdul Majeed. Notably, the NIA has detained Shafi Bellare in connection with the murder of Praveen Nettaru. A recce of Praveen Nettaru’s home and information about the victim’s activities were both given by Shafi, the NIA’s chargesheet states.
#PraveenNettaruMurderCase | Accused Shafi Bellare shortlisted to fight polls #PraveenNettaru #ShafiBellare #ITVideo @poojashali @anaghakesav pic.twitter.com/DpaZanGBaY
— IndiaToday (@IndiaToday) February 13, 2023
SDPI Karnataka’s state general secretary and election in-charge said while speaking to Times Now, “Look, our state secretary Shafi Bellare is wrongfully fixed in the Praveen Nettaru murder case. He has done nothing wrong. He is politically trapped and sent to jail, in this case. His name is there in our first list of probable candidates. Though the names are not fixed yet, we can confirm the name in the second list. There are two-three more candidates in consideration for that seat but we will confirm the name in the second list. He is one of the proposed candidates. We will release the second list in February’s last week.”
He added, “The day Shafi Bellare was arrested, we took a press conference and said that he is framed in this case under a political conspiracy. He has nothing to do with the murder case. We will fight the legal battle in court. Right now he is just an accused and nothing is proven so far.
According to a report by Republic World, BJP leader S Prakash said, “It is disgusting that a murder accused is announced as the candidate for assembly poll. The SDPI and PFI are terror and murderous organizations. The blatant support of the murder accused who is behind the bar, the SDPI has proved that their colour has not changed and they remain an anti-social element.”
SDPI is likely to field murder accused, Shafi Bellare, in the upcoming Karnataka election from the Puttur assembly constituency.@sdpikarnataka makes stark comments in an Exclusive conversation with Imran.@KeypadGuerilla shares more intrinsic details with @dekameghna pic.twitter.com/rJfCQAOLf3
— TIMES NOW (@TimesNow) February 13, 2023
He added, “Merely announcing the candidature does not make him the MLA. It’s the people’s will that is essential. People will give a befitting reply to the SDPI.”
On July 26, 2022, a Bharatiya Janata Party Yuva Morcha (BJYM) worker Praveen Nettaru was hacked to death by unidentified assailants. Late evening, the killers came on a bike to Bellari, Dakshina Kannada of Karnataka, and attacked Nettaru with sharp weapons. Praveen Nettaru, who ran a poultry business, was returning home when the attack happened. The assailants escaped after the attack. The Hindu leader was rushed to the hospital, but he could not be saved.
Following Nettaru’s murder, unrest broke out in the Dakshina Kannada district in a number of locations. Soon after, state Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai turned over the Praveen Nettaru murder case to the NIA. In January 2023, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) filed a chargesheet against 20 members of the banned Islamist outfit Popular Front of India (PFI) for murdering Karnataka BJYM leader Praveen Nettaru. The NIA informed a special court that Nettaru was murdered by a killer squad of the PFI as part of its plan to instil terror into a “specific community” (Hindus) and further their agenda of “Islamic rule in India by 2047.”
The chargesheet was submitted by the anti-terror organization before a Bengaluru special court under sections 120B, 153A, 302, and 34 of the Indian Penal Code, as well as sections 16, 18, and 20 of the 1967 Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act and Section 25(1)(a) of the Arms Act.
