Mangaluru: Dakshina Kannada district in Karnataka remained on edge for the second consecutive day on Wednesday following the brutal murder of a Muslim youth, Abdul Rahim, in Bantwal taluk. The incident has sparked communal tension, triggered retaliatory violence, and prompted widespread security measures including the imposition of prohibitory orders under Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarika Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) across the district. Abdul Rahim, also known as Imtiyaz, a 35-year-old pick-up truck driver, was hacked to death near Ira-Kodi on Monday evening, allegedly by a group of assailants while unloading sand. His murder, widely shared and discussed on social media, is being seen in some quarters as a retaliatory act linked to the earlier killing of Suhas Shetty, a Hindu youth, in Bajpe on May 1.

Prohibitory orders under BNSS Section 163 have been imposed for three days in the taluks of Bantwal, Belthangady, Puttur, Sullia, and Kadaba, beginning Tuesday evening. Similar restrictions were also extended across Mangaluru city by Police Commissioner Anupam Agarwal, covering 17 police stations.

Large gatherings, protests, and processions have been banned till 6 pm on May 30 as a precautionary measure.

Funeral draws thousands, stone-pelting reported

On Wednesday, Rahim’s body was taken in a funeral procession from his residence in Kolthamajalu to a nearby burial ground. According to police estimates, the procession drew over 20,000 people. Tensions flared en route as some participants reportedly forced shop closures. A two-wheeler showroom in Bantwal was vandalised after its staff allegedly refused to shut down; glass panes were shattered, and threats were issued, police said. Sporadic incidents of stone-pelting on private buses were reported in Surathkal and other pockets. Additional security forces have been deployed in Bantwal, Gurupura, Bajpe, Kaikamba and sensitive parts of the district to prevent escalation.

Arrests and investigation

Police have registered a case at Bantwal Rural Police Station, naming Deepak and Sumeet as prime accused in the FIR. Five special teams have been formed under the leadership of Superintendent of Police N Yathish to fast-track the investigation. These teams are working in coordination with Mangaluru’s City Crime Branch (CCB) to identify and apprehend all those involved. To bolster security, personnel from Udupi and Chikkamagaluru have been requisitioned and stationed at strategic locations across Dakshina Kannada.

Arrest of Hindu outfit leader adds to tension

In a parallel development, Mangaluru police on Tuesday arrested Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) leader Sharan Pumpwell in connection with a case filed against him for inciting communal unrest following the murder of Suhas Shetty. Pumpwell had earlier accused “jihadi Islamic terrorists” of the killing and called for a bandh on May 2, during which his followers allegedly indulged in vandalism. Police stated that Pumpwell had ignored two summons under BNSS and failed to cooperate with the investigation. Though arrested based on a 20-day-old FIR, he was granted bail late Tuesday night by a magistrate at his Bondel residence, triggering protests by right-wing supporters who accused the authorities of selective enforcement.

Political reactions

Addressing the media outside Yenepoya Hospital where Rahim’s autopsy was conducted, SDPI district president Anwar Sadath claimed the killing was politically motivated and demanded the formation of a Special Investigation Team (SIT). “He was lured to the site on the pretext of work and killed. There were open threats made on social media after Shetty’s murder, and despite 45 FIRs, very few arrests have been made,” he alleged. District in-charge Minister Dinesh Gundu Rao condemned the incident and said he had spoken to the Home Minister and senior police officials. “The exact motive is still under investigation,” he said in a post on social media platform X.