Representative image showing a police officer.
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Mangaluru: In the aftermath of Suhas Shetty’s murder, Head Constable Rasheed M Sheikh of Bajpe Police Station lodged a complaint requesting action against individuals propagating hate speech both online and offline.
According to his complaint, while on duty at 5 pm on May 5, he was informed by colleagues that Samith Raj Dharegudde from Moodbidri had posted a defamatory WhatsApp status implying that Rasheed should be arrested for his alleged role in Shetty’s murder. He further claimed that multiple social media posts were circulating, accusing him of backing the accused in the case.
Rasheed also pointed out that false and unfounded reports were being shared on social media and online news portals, which he said were damaging his reputation. Among the accusations, Hindu Jagaran Vedike leader KT Ullas alleged that Rasheed had tortured Suhas and confiscated his weapons three days prior to the incident.
He emphasised in the complaint that such unverified remarks made during press conferences and widely shared online could spark communal tension, sow discord among communities, and disrupt public order by wrongly implicating the Bajpe police in the murder.