Police handled Suhas Shetty murder case efficiently: Dinesh Gundu Rao

Mangaluru: District minister Dinesh Gundu Rao on Saturday reiterated that the Karnataka police are fully capable of investigating the murder of rowdy-sheeter Suhas Shetty. He told reporters that arrests were already made and the investigation is progressing well. Decisions regarding transferring a case to NIA rest with the govt, he said.

Responding to queries about the demand for an NIA probe, Rao said the matter falls under the purview of the home department, and the govt will take an appropriate call. That said, one must consider whether there is any real necessity to involve the NIA, especially when the city police have already cracked the case. This is not a situation where the police are clueless without any leads. In the past, several cases were handed over to the CBI, but they yielded no concrete results, he pointed out.

He also said that police are probing all angles, including the possible involvement of organisations. "If anyone has more information, they should come forward and share it. The govt is open to acting on credible leads," he said.

When asked about criticism that no govt representative visited Suhas Shetty's family, Rao said, "Several murders are reported across the state. The govt is aware of its responsibilities. Our focus has been on arresting all those involved in Suhas Shetty's murder and ensuring justice is served. It is not necessary for a govt representative to visit the family of every murder victim."

He also said stern action is being taken against those posting provocative or fake messages on social media. "Several cases were already registered. However, action against such posts, especially from fake accounts, takes time as it requires cooperation from platforms like Facebook and Instagram," he explained, and said that the home minister assured steps to strengthen and modernise the Cyber Command Centre.

When asked about personal remarks made by BJP MLA Harish Poonja, Rao said, "His words reflect his personality. I see no reason to respond to comments made in poor taste."