Mangaluru, Karnataka— On Saturday, August 2, 2025, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) searched 18 places in Karnataka in connection with the gruesome murder of Bajrang Dal member Suhas Shetty. The agency’s continued investigation led to the raids, which were on places connected to the 12 people who had previously been arrested in the case.
In June 2025, the NIA formally took up the case from the state police. A group of attackers, including Abdul Safwan, killed Hindu campaigner Suhas Shetty in May of this year in Mangaluru City.
Key Seizures and Alleged Reason
During the coordinated searches in the Mangaluru, Chikkamagaluru, and Hassan districts, NIA teams found a lot of digital evidence and other things that may be used against them. According to a statement from the NIA, these items include 11 mobile phones, 13 SIM cards, and eight memory cards, as well as other important documents for the inquiry.
The investigation agency said that Suhas Shetty’s murder was done “to spread terror” in society, which suggests that there may be a bigger conspiracy or extremist reason behind the killing.
Details of the vicious attack
On May 1, 2025, Suhas Shetty was killed. He was in Mangaluru’s Bajpe area with five other people when a group of armed attackers stopped his car. The CCTV footage of the event showed the terrible picture, with the attackers hitting Shetty with swords and machetes, which led to his death.
Following his murder, Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita imposed a five-day prohibitory order on the region to maintain peace and prevent any retaliatory violence.
Transfer of the case and ongoing investigation
At first, the Bajpe Police Station took the case. But as more and more people asked for an NIA investigation, the federal agency finally took over the case in June. The NIA has been aggressively looking into the murder since then. The raids on Saturday were a big step in their efforts to find out how big the conspiracy was and bring all the people who were involved to justice.
The NIA is still looking into the matter as it digs deeper into the reason and network behind Suhas Shetty’s death. They have raided several places and apparently found a lot of evidence.