NIA charge sheets 11 arrested accused in Suhas Shetty murder case

New Delhi, Oct 30 (IANS) The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has charge-sheeted 11 arrested accused in the Suhas Shetty murder case, the investigating agency said on Thursday.

The 11 accused were charge-sheeted on Wednesday, and their chargesheet is filed before the NIA Special Court, Bengaluru, Karnataka, under various sections of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act 1967, Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023, and the Arms Act, 1959.

Notably, Suhas Shetty was brutally hacked to death by seven persons armed with lethal weapons, including swords/machetes, on May 1 2025.

“The shocking targeted killing was carried out in full public view to instil fear and to spread terror in the society,” the NIA said in its press note.

NIA, which took over the case on the directives of the Ministry of Home Affairs, found a larger conspiracy behind the targeted killing.

According to the NIA, it further found during investigations that Suhas Shetty’s activities were meticulously tracked over several months as part of the elaborate conspiracy, “and on the fateful day, seven accused in two cars trailed Suhas Shetty’s Innova car.”

“The accused caused a deliberate accident on the Innova car driven by Suhas Shetty, followed by intentional ramming by another vehicle; thereby blocking all escape routes for Suhas Shetty and his friends. Suhas Shetty was forced to flee on foot and was chased and hacked to death by the assailants,” it said.

As per NIA investigations in the case RC-01/2025/NIA/BLR, the terror plot was hatched by accused Abdul Safwan (@ Kalavaru Safwan @ Chopu Safwan), an ex-member of the banned Popular Front of India (PFI), along with Niyaz alias Niya, Mohammed Musamir (@ Mahamed Musameer @ Mohammad @ Muzammil), Noushad (@ Vamanjoor Noushad @ Chotte Noushad @ Chotu), another ex-KFD & PFI member and Adil Maharoof.

“Accused Adil Maharoof alias Adil had provided the funds, which were used to recruit other accused on the promise of payment or by exploiting any previous existing enmity with the victim,” it said.

All five mentioned above, along with Kalandar Shafi alias Mande Shafi, M Nagaraja alias Naga, Ranjith, Mahammed Rizwan alias Rijju, Azaruddin alias Azar, and Abdul Khader alias Noufal, are named in the chargesheet filed.

Investigation against another arrested accused, Abdul Razak, is underway.

--IANS

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