Daijiworld Media Network - Mangaluru (SP)
Mangaluru, Jan 7: A large number of people placed the body of Keshava Shetty, who was murdered at Soorinje near Kinnigoli on Monday, in the midst the road adjacent to Soorinje fort, and held protest. They were demanding for the immediate arrest of the accused and also those involved with drug trafficking.
Deputy commissioner of police, Vishnuvardhan, who met the protesters, promised them that a special workforce within the commissionerate to regulate mafia activities including drug traffickers. He made this promise after receiving a memorandum submitted by the protesters on Tuesday January 6. He said that the workforce will begin its operations from Suratkal.
Keshav Shetty
At the meeting of protesters, leader of Hindu organizations, Satyajit Suratkal, said that drugs are widely being sold in various places including Chokkabettu, Krishnapura, Katipalla, Soorinje etc, as a result of which lot of young children are ruining their future. He asked the police department to take stern action against this menace.
BJP Dakshina Kannada district vice president, Umanath Kotian, who complained that the poilce department has failed to nab the culprits involved with sale of drugs, asked the police to arrest the concerned in spite of whether or not they are influential. 'If the police fail to arrest the concerned, we are prepared to hold protest in front of the house of the leade of the party who supports such culprits,' he added.
Suratkal station house officer, M A Nataraj, said that steps are being taken to book sellers of drug undear Goonda Act. Panambur assistant commissioner of police, Ravikumar, Panambur station house officer, Lokesh, Suratkal police sub-inspector, Ravishankar, and Kumaresh, were present.
Moodbidri constituency BJP unit president, Sucharita Shetty, BJP district vice president, Jagadish Adhikari, zilla panchayat member, Eshwar Kateel, BJP leader, Ashok Krishnapura, and several others were present.
Later, funeral of the deceased was conducted near his home.
It is said that Keshava had informed the police about the flourishing ganja trade in the region. He had also requested them to keep tab on Prashanth's illegal activities. Prashanth had posed death threat to Keshava, after which the latter had filed police complaint. Policemen had arrested Prashanth and sent him to jail for about a month. After getting released from jail, he, accompanied by his friend, Sathish, Prashanth had murdeered Keshava, the police said.
Keshava had entered wedded life on February 20 last year in Suratkal.