Karnataka police have invoked sections of Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) against the ten people arrested in the murder of a Bajrang Dal member Harsha, which led to violent protests in Shivamogga, the Indian Express reported.
A police officer told the newspaper that there is “suspicion of a larger conspiracy behind the murder.”
Amid the ongoing hijab row, Harsha was stabbed to death by a group of men with whom he allegedly had enmity since 2016. The Hindutva groups have mobilised students to oppose Muslim female students wearing the hijab to schools. Meanwhile, it was found that Harsha was also part of such efforts, according to the Indian Express.
The police had initially said that the killing was unconnected to the hijab ban – blaming that it could be an outcome of a six-month-old clash between Harsha and one of the attackers on the court premises, as per the newspaper. However, the police are looking into the possibility of a “larger conspiracy”.
A senior police officer told IE, “The accused are local criminals and there are serious doubts that they could have planned and executed the murder on their own.”
With the draconian UAPA invoked against the arrested, the case would possibly be handed over to the National Investigation Agency (NIA), the newspaper reported.
