As the killing of Bajrang Dal member Harsha has heightened tensions in Karnataka's Shivamogga district, the sister of the deceased on Tuesday, 22 February, said that the family seeks justice. She shared that her brother never used his surname, and was known as 'Harsha Hindu.'
"His full name is Harsha Jingade. But he wasn’t the type to use his surname. He was known everywhere as just Harsha… Harsha Hindu. I don’t know what else to say. I don’t have a brother now. I seek justice. I am just going for the funeral now. The netas have promised to deliver justice. We are not ourselves now," Harha's sister Ashwini said on Tuesday.
"He never spoke anything negative. He would go to work, get back home, eat and sleep. He would do a lot of social work. Even that, we heard from others, who’d call to say he helped someone at the hospital or something. When we asked him, he’d dismiss us by saying, 'Why do you want to know all this?' He was such a good man. He never boasted about the good deeds he did."Harsha's sister, Ashwini
"Brothers... All of you are children of your parents. Parents face a lot of problems for your future. Please be careful. Don't make your life like Harsha. I don't want to point to any religion, any caste. All of you are brothers and sisters," Ashwini further said.
The deceased's mother, Padma, has requested state Home Minister Araga Jnanendra to ensure justice for the murder.
"Please help us. Save us," the deceased's mother, Padma, was heard saying to the home minister in a video from the hospital on Monday.
Twenty-six-year-old Bajrang Dal activist Harsha had been stabbed to death by assailants late on Sunday, at the Bharathi Colony in Shivamogga.
According to reports, a gang of men arrived at the spot in a car and stabbed Harsha. Following the attack, he was taken to a nearby hospital, where he was declared dead.
A total of six persons – Mohammed Kashif, Sayed Nadeem, Afsifullah Khan, Rehan Sharef, Nihan, and Abdul Afnan – have been arrested, and 12 are being questioned in connection with the murder, the police said on Tuesday.
'Son Was Unwell, Was at Home Whole Day': Accused Syed Nadeem's Mother
The kin of Syed Nadeem have denied any knowledge of the accused's links to the murder. His mother, Parveen Taj, has said that Nadeem had been unwell on Sunday, and had not stepped out of the house at all.
"My son was not well. He was at home the entire day, and did not go anywhere. He had slept in the night, as he had to get up in the morning for work. The police came at 3 am in the night. We had no knowledge of this connection. The police should catch the actual culprits, and leave my child."Parveen Taj, mother of accused Syed Nadeem
What CCTV Footage Shows
CCTV footage that has emerged from the intervening night between Sunday and Monday shows the police capturing one man from the neighbourhood where the Bajrang Dal activist was stabbed late in the night.
The clip, that was recorded at a little after 3 am on Monday, shows the man being searched by a number of police personnel, and then being led away by them.
Meanwhile, Section 144 was imposed in Shivamogga following the tensions on Monday, and will remain effective till Friday morning, Karnataka deputy commissioner said on Tuesday. Schools will also be shut for another two days.
Though Harsha had been a part of the protest demanding a ban on hijabs held on 7 February outside a college in Shivamogga, the reason behind the killing has not yet been ascertained.
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