Speaker Khader too needs to be questioned in Suhas Shetty murder case, Sullia MLA Bhagirathi Murulya

Bharatiya Janata Party MLA from Sullia Bhagirathi Murulya speaks at a press conference in Mangaluru on Sunday, May 4.
| Photo Credit: Anil Kumar Sastry

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLA from Sullia Bhagirathi Murulya on Sunday (May 4, 2025) demanded that the Suhas Shetty murder probe should also include questioning Legislative Assembly Speaker U.T. Khader for his siding with the accused in the murder case.

Speaking to reporters, the MLA said that by claiming that family members of Mohammed Fazil, in whose 2022 murder case Suhas Shetty was the prime accused, had called him to vouch for their innocence, he attempted to influence the investigation into the case. Being the Speaker of the Legislative Assembly, he should have been impartial, but he has exhibited a partisan attitude in the instant case, Ms. Murulya said.

Suspecting the investigation into the Shetty murder case was not going in the right direction, Ms. Murulya asked the police why they were yet to arrest two women who were seen at the scene of offence on April 1, Thursday. Their role should be investigated properly, she demanded.

Taking objection to calling Suhas Shetty as a ‘rowdy sheeter,’ Ms. Murulya asserted that he was a staunch Hindutva activist working hard to protect the religion and its members. “For that matter, Home Minister G Parameshwara, Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar and many others face several criminal cases. Can they too be called rowdies,” she asked.

The MLA also took exception to Mr. Parameshwara holding a meeting with Muslim leaders during his visit to Mangaluru on Saturday and ignoring elected representatives of the region. The Minister should have called the representatives for a meeting to clearly understand the situation, she said. The Chief Minister and the Home Minister should have given the message of love and peace; however the Home Minister spoke only to Muslim leaders, she said.

The government should take proactive steps to curb hate crime and related incidents which were denting the image of Dakshina Kannada, she added.

Dakshina Kannada District BJP Mahila Morcha President Manjula Anil Kumar, Secretary Sandhya Venkatesh and others were present.