The Karnataka Police have arrested six people for allegedly hatching a conspiracy to kill a youth to avenge the death of Bajrang Dal worker Harsha in Shivamogga in February.
Sources said that the plot came to light when two people — Vishwas alias Jaitley and Rakhi — were arrested by the Doddapete police on April 13 for allegedly assaulting a journalist. During the interrogation, Vishwas revealed that they were planning to kill a youth belonging to a different faith, said sources.
The police said that a case was booked against 13 people, including Rakhi, Vishwas, Nitin, Yashwanth, Karthik, Akash, Praveen, Suhas, Sachin Rayakar, Sanket, Raghu, Manju, and Vishal, and six were arrested.
The police also seized a car, two bikes and lethal weapons from the accused. One of the absconding accused is a member of the Harsha Charitable trust which was started by Ashwini, Harsha’s sister. She is the president of the trust and former Karnataka minister KS Eshwarappa’s son KE Kanthesh is a managing trustee.
Karnataka Congress president DK Shivakumar congragulated the Shivamogga police for averting the murder and said that the alleged plan was part of a conspiracy to create communal tension to distract attention from corruption charges Eshwarappa is facing.
Eshwarappa resigned as rural Development and panchayat raj minister Friday, days after a first information report (FIR) was registered against him over the death of a civil contractor who had levelled allegations of corruption against him.
Harsha was killed in the Doddapet police station limits of Shivamogga when he was out for dinner with a couple of his friends on February 20. The Karnataka Police arrested 10 people in connection with the murder and later invoked the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act against them. Last week, they handed over the investigation to the National Investigation Agency (NIA).
This article first appeared on indianexpress.com
