Mangaluru: In the wake of three murders reported in quick succession over the past one-and-a-half months in Mangaluru and surrounding areas of Dakshina Kannada district, concerns over rising tensions in the coastal belt have intensified. A Member of the Legislative Council Dr. Manjunath Bhandari has urged the Central Government to transfer all three cases to the National Investigation Agency (NIA) for a thorough and impartial probe.

The Ministry of Home Affairs has already handed over the case related to the May 1 killing of Suhas Shetty in Kinnikambla near Bajpe to the NIA. However, calls are now growing for the central agency to also take up the April 27 mob lynching of a man named Ashraf in Kudpadi and the May 27 murder of Abdul Rahiman near Kombodi in Kuriyaal.

Alleging possible retaliatory motives behind the killings, the MLC said that selectively transferring just one case while leaving out the others could lead to public perception of bias. “The Centre should not treat one case with leniency and another with harshness. All three cases must be handed over to the NIA to ensure justice and transparency,” the legislator said.

He further stated that a comprehensive NIA investigation could help uncover the deeper network of communal tension and violence potentially linking the incidents. “Only then will the people of this region get clarity about the real forces behind these crimes,” he added.

Civic groups and elected representatives alike have echoed the demand, urging the Central Government to take prompt and equitable action in the interest of peace and communal harmony in the coastal region.