Muslim forum accuses Karnataka govt of bias in murder cases of Fazil, Masood

Mangaluru: The Karnataka government's discriminatory attitude to the recent murders of two Muslim youngsters in the Dakshina Kannada area drew thousands of people to protest in Mangaluru. At the Clock Tower in Mangaluru on Friday night, a demonstration was organised by the Suratkal branch of the Muslim Aikyathe Vedike (Muslim United Forum). It happened the day after a Mangaluru district court granted bail to one of the suspects detained in connection with the murder of Fazil, a young man from Suratkal.

Speaking at the protest, Umar, father of Fazil, said, "No one's child should be murdered in this way. While we are waiting for justice, one of the accused was given bail by the court." The demonstrators demanded compensation for the families of Fazil and Masood, two victims of communal violence in the area, and noted that the family of Praveen Nettaru, a BJP youth worker who was also a victim of communal violence, had received compensation of Rs. 25 lakh.

The forum also urged the Karnataka government to assign the National Investigation Agency with conducting the probe into the deaths of Fazil and Masood (NIA). The forum further noted that while charges under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA) were brought against the suspects in the murder of Praveen Nettaru, no such charges were brought against the killers of the Muslim youths, the News Minute reported.

Muslim organisations in Dakshina Kannada, including the Muslim Organizations' Federation, Jamaat-e-Islami Hind, Samastha Kerala Sunni Students Federation, and the Popular Front of India, participated in the demonstration.

Beginning with the murder of Masood, a 19-year-old from the village of Kalanja, on July 19, a string of communal killings shook the Dakshina Kannada area in July. Praveen Nettaru, a BJP youth member from Bellare village in the district, was killed five days later. Fazil, a daily wage worker from Suratkal, was killed by a hacksaw outside a local clothing store in retaliation for this. According to police who are looking into his death, the accused started preparing Fazil's murder in retaliation for Nettaru's murder.

Harshit, 28, a suspect detained in connection with the murder of Fazil, was granted bail on Thursday by the district court in Mangaluru. Harshit was charged with giving the alleged murderers a place to stay. In the meantime, the NIA is continuing its probe into the murder of Praveen Nettaru after police made ten arrests.