The Dakshina Kannada District Police have arrested three suspects in connection with the brutal murder of Abdul Rahiman in Bantwal, near Mangaluru, police officials confirmed on Thursday.
On May 27, Rahiman, a truck driver, was attacked along with his brother Kalandar Shafi while unloading gravel at Ira Kodi in Kuriyala village, under the Bantwal Rural Police Station. Two masked assailants on a motorcycle approached them and attacked with a sword.
While both victims were rushed to the hospital, Rahiman succumbed to his injuries, and Shafi is still undergoing treatment.
The police registered a case under sections 191(1), 191(2), 191(3), 118(1), 118(2), 109, and 103 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) 2023. A full investigation led to the arrest of three accused, whose identities have not yet been officially disclosed.
In response to the incident, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah reviewed the law and order situation and imposed prohibitory orders in Bantwal till May 30. He called for calm and emphasized the need for communal harmony, stating, “No one involved in this violence will be spared, no matter their influence.”
This killing follows closely on the heels of another high-profile murder: that of Hindutva activist Suhas Shetty on May 1, also in the Mangaluru region. Shetty, a known rowdy sheeter, was ambushed and killed while traveling with associates near Kinnipadavu Cross, under Bajpe police limits.
Authorities are on high alert amid growing tensions, and further arrests in the Rahiman case are possible as the investigation continues.
