Mangaluru Police arrest seven persons in Mohd Fazil's murder of Surathkal

New Delhi, August 3

The Mangaluru Police have arrested seven persons in the murder case of Mohammed Fazil who was hacked to death in Surathkal.

The accused have been identified as Mohan Singh (26), Srinivas Katipalla (23), Giridhar (23), Deekshith (21), Abhishek (21) and Suhas Shetty (29). 

The police said the accused took a car from Ajith Castra, luring him to pay Rs 5,000 per day. They took the car for three days. Castra was arrested two days ago. 

The investigation has revealed that Mohammed Fazil was specifically targeted. They kept a watch over his house, identified him and then targeted him. The prime accused Suhas Shetty and Abhishek plotted to execute the murder on July 27. Suhas Shetty who is a history-sheeter had to appear for a court hearing. At the same time, the accused were monitoring the movements of Mohammed Fazil and they killed him on the night of July 28.

The officials said that Suhas, Mohan and Abhishek hacked Fazil to death, while Giridhar was driving the car. Deekshith was sitting inside the vehicle and Abhishek kept an eye, while Fazil was being hacked to death. Fazil was closing his store and returning home when the accused followed him and hacked him. 

The police had also collected CCTV footages that showed the visuals of the accused and the car. 

The murder two days after the murder of BJP youth leader Praveen Nettaru in the Bellare village. Fazil’s murder was also being linked to Nettaru’s terming it as revenge killing. 

The police are yet to ascertain why Fazil was their specific target and the reasons behind hacking him to death and whether there are links between Fazil and the accused.