Rivalry between local gangs led to Bajrang Dal activist murder, says police

Long-standing rivalry between local Hindutva and Muslim gangs probably led to the murder of the 27-year old Bajrang Dal activist Harsha Hindu in Shivamogga city in Karnataka by a gang of armed men on February 20. This is the view shared by senior police officials, who are also probing how the ten men, who are in police custody till March 7, got together to execute the murder.

The police however have not ruled out the possibility of the involvement of a larger group. But they have not found any evidence of the role of outfits like the Islamic organisation, the Popular Front of India.

Though the police are investigating the timing of the activist’s murder in the backdrop of the hijab controversy raging in the state, a senior police official told the media that their investigations have shown that there is no “immediate motive” behind the murder. And that it was more a case of a rivalry that had built up over a period of time because of Harsha’s active involvement with Bajrang Dal activities.

Harsha had also been very active in the anti-hijab protests organised by right-wing groups and had even commented in a social media post that the “saffron wave is roaring in Shimoga” more than the corona wave”.  He had posted pictures of activists protesting with saffron shawls against the use of hijabs in a college.

Also read: Bajrang Dal worker murder case: Police detain 2 more in Shivamogga

According to the police there were many skirmishes in the area between the Hindu and Muslim gangs in the past. Just six months ago, there was a fight between Harsha and one of the accused on the court premises and the murder could have been a direct result of that incident, the police told The Indian Express, adding that it seemed like a case of “local rivalry”.

Harsha Nagaraj alias Harsha Hindu was hacked to death by a group of men who had been lying in wait for him in a car and an autorickshaw, on the night of February 20 in the Doddapet police station limits of Shivamogga. Harsha had stepped out to have dinner along with his friends.

The accused and cases against them

The main accused in this murder case, which led to violence breaking out in Shivamogga, is Mohammed Kashif (30), who was reportedly identified by witnesses at the crime scene. Harsha and Kashif have been in prison together in 2017, when the latter was imprisoned for raping a minor (for which he was later acquitted), while Harsha was arrested for assaulting a Muslim youth in Daddapet.

There are ostensibly 16 cases against Kashif, and the three others accused in the murder – Rihan Shariff alias Kasi (22), Asif alias Asifullah Khan alias Chiku (22) and Abdul Afuhan alias Derar (21). They have been accused of armed robberies, arson, burglaries, as well as assault.

Meanwhile, Harsha had at least four criminal cases against him. He first gained notoriety in January 2016, when he was accused of causing intentional insult to a religion through posts made on social media against Prophet Mohammed. And soon his reputation as a local right-wing thug grew as he was linked to three cases of assaults in Shivamogga between 2017 and 2019, including two against Muslims.

In December 2020, Harsha was arrested in a rioting case in the Shivamogga cloth market, in which group of Muslims were attacked. But he was later released on bail.

Also read: 6 held for Bajrang Dal member’s murder; curfew extended in Shivamogga

A planned murder

The police told the media that this was a planned murder. However, since some of the persons who have been arrested did not know the main accused Kashif, the police were probing how the group was assembled for the murder.

Meanwhile, in her complaint to the police, Harsha’s mother Padma has said her son had told her that he had received a threat to his life. That her son who had been a Bajrang dal worker for the past five years had worked for Hindutva and cow protection and was disliked by the Muslim youths for that reason. Harsha had told her that he faces a threat to his life from Muslim youths in the area, she said in her complaint adding that he used to tell her that “many are going around saying they will kill him”.