BJP activist murdered for campaigning against halal meat: Probe

Dakshina Kannada: BJP Yuva Morcha activist Praveen Kumar Nettare's active involvement in campaign against halal meat led to his killing, police team probing the murder case said on Monday.

Meanwhile, Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai said the National Investigation Agency (NIA) has taken over the probe.

According to sources, Praveen was actively involved in the campaign against halal meat. He had also started a chicken shop and sold meat without the halal cut. Notably, halal is a practice where an animal's throat is first slit and the meat is cut only after the blood drains out.

Praveen campaigned on ground as well as on social media that Hindus should not buy halal cut meat from Muslim traders. His initiatives made big news in Bellare town. The police suspect that Praveen came under the radar of fundamental organisations with the campaigning, the sources said.

Following a bandh call against verdict of Karnataka High Court by Muslim organisations and traders, Hindu activists had given a call to boycott Muslim traders. The call was also given to boycott halal meat prepared by Muslim traders.

Chief Minister Bommai had stated that the investigations into the case is progressing and that the police are going to nab all killers soon. The case would be officially handed over to the National Intelligence Agency (NIA) in two to three days.

"Technical and paper work are in progress regarding the murder. The case would be handed over sooner. We have spoken to NIA in this regard informally. NIA officers are already started collecting information regarding Praveen's murder in Kerala and Mangaluru," he said.

When asked about not visiting families of murdered Muslim youth in the same district where he visited only Hindu victim's family, CM Bommai, he would visit slain Muslim youth's families soon.