MANGALURU: Just days after a mob-lynching incident in Kudupu, the coastal city of Mangaluru was rocked by another act of violence on Thursday evening, as 30-year-old Suhas Shetty was brutally hacked to death in Bajpe. In response, the city police have imposed prohibitory orders under Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) to curb any potential unrest.
The restrictions, which ban gatherings of more than five people and other provocative activities, will remain in effect from 6 a.m. on May 2 until 6 a.m. on May 6 across Mangaluru Police Commissionerate limits. City Police Commissioner Anupam Agrawal clarified that shouting slogans, carrying weapons, making provocative speeches, and staging protests are prohibited—though government-organized events are exempt.
Suhas Shetty was among the accused in the 2022 murder of Mohammed Fazil, a 23-year-old from Katipalla, whose death had sparked significant communal tension across the coastal region.
According to police, the latest attack occurred around 8:27 p.m. on Thursday when Shetty was traveling with five associates—Sanjay, Prajwal, Anvith, Latheesh, and Shashank. Their vehicle was intercepted near Kinnipadavu Cross by a group of six assailants in a Swift car and a pickup truck. The attackers assaulted Shetty with sharp weapons, inflicting grievous injuries. He was rushed to AJ Hospital but was declared dead soon after.
A murder case has been registered at Bajpe Police Station, and multiple police teams have been formed to track down the culprits.
Shetty was a known rowdy-sheeter, with five criminal cases against him—four in Mangaluru City and one in Dakshina Kannada district.
