Mangaluru: In a surprising breach of court security, a youth managed to headbutt Shafi Bellare, the main accused in the murder of BJP Yuva Morcha leader Praveen Nettaru, as he was being escorted into the Belthangady court on Sunday.

Shafi Bellare is currently in judicial custody under the National Investigation Agency (NIA) in connection with Nettaru’s killing, which had sparked widespread outrage in 2022. On Sunday, he was brought to court over a separate case involving a 2017 speech allegedly containing derogatory remarks against the RSS and right-wing leader Kalladka Bhatt.

Despite a police presence at the court complex, the youth got close enough to land a headbutt on Bellare’s forehead. The sudden attack caused a commotion in the court premises and has raised serious questions about the adequacy of security arrangements.

Authorities are in the process of identifying the youth and determining how he managed to approach the accused.