A 19-year-old Muslim youth Sameer Shahpur has been killed by members of Bajrang Dal and Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) members in Karnataka’s Gadag district on Monday.
Sameer, along with his friend Shamseer was brutally attacked by Sangh Parivar goons in Naragund town in Gadag, yesterday evening around 7.30 pm.
The perpetrators stabbed Sameer’s chest with a knife and fired Shamsheer’s back with a deadly weapon.
Sameer, who runs a restaurant went to the hotel last night and took his friend Shamseer, who owns a photo studio shop, on his bike.
A CCTV footage showed men, who were waiting waiting at Naragunda State Bank near Sangarwara, stopped the bike of Sameer and Shamseer and attacked them with weapons.
Sameer, breathed his last on Monday night at Karnataka Institute of Medical Sciences (KIMS) hospital in Hubli, while Shamseer has survived the attack and is in critical condition.
This incident took place yesterday after RSS organised a protest in the town where Anti-Muslim slogans were raised. Videos have surfaced in which Naragund Taluk’s former RSS secretary Sanju Nalwad is heard making speeches against Muslim community.
Instigating anti-Muslim hate, Sanjay Nalwad told the gathering that Bajrang Dal would ‘protect’ them, and that even the police ‘were with us’.
The Bajrang Dal event and protest march was held in front of Naragund police station on Monday morning. A policeman is seen on the stage right next to Nalwad when he is spewing anti-Muslim hate.
Sameer’s brother Zubair Subhan Shahpur told THG that, “Sameer asked me to go home, saying that he’ll close the restaurant, go to barbers shop and come. I returned home and waited for him from a long time but he didn’t returned. I started to worry and called him. He answered the call and asked me brother please come to this spot immediately. Me and my friend went there soon.”
“When I went to spot no one was there. My brother was lying alone. All the culprits had escaped. We immediately took him to a hospital and got him admitted. They advised to take Sameer to Hubli KIMS. Around 6 in the morning, his breath automatically stopped and we lost him,” he added.
The victim’s family has complained that the gang members, including Mallikarjuna Hiremath and Kumar, were involved in the act. An FIR has been lodged at Naragund police station. Four men belonging to Bajrang Dal and RSS, Mallikarjuna, Channa Basappa, Sankrappa and Sanju have been arrested. Five more culprits, who are part of the murder are yet to arrested.
Talking to THG, Zubair further said, “My brother had no enmity with any of them. From past two months, RSS guys have been creating communal issues here. He was murdered right after anti-MusIim speeches delivered by RSS and Bajrang Dal, the same day. I want justice for my brother. All those involved in this should be caught, arrested and punished. What happened with my brother, shouldn’t happen with any other brothers. This is my appeal.
