BJP leader's death sparks tension; 2 killed in police firing

Mangalore, Dec 1 (UNI) Two persons were today killed and two others injured when police opened fire in front of Mulky police station in Dakshina Kannada district of Karnataka to quell a violent mob protesting against the murder of a local BJP leader in Suratkal.

Superintendent of Police B Dayanand told UNI that the mob, which came in a procession, started pelting stones at the police station, injuring a few police personnel. When the mob did not pay heed to the repeated appeals of the police to disperse, police opened fire.

However, the situation was now under control and additional police force was deployed, he added.

Meanwhile, curfew was imposed for three days from this evening in the Mulky police station limits.

Earlier, tension prevailed in Kulai village in Suratkal police station limits following the murder of Mr Sukhanand Shetty. Some unidentified persons, who came in a van, attacked Mr Shetty with lethal weapons. The activist succumbed to injuries on the way to hospital.

The vehicle used by the assailants was recovered by the police at Thokur near Suratkal. A massive manhunt was launched to trace the culprits.

The mob also put up road blockades on the national blockade by setting afire tyres.

Protesting against the murder, a bandh was observed in Suratkal town, Mulky town and Kinnigoli. All business establishments and shops were closed soon after news of the murder spread. A holiday was declared in schools and colleges. Buses too remained off the roads.

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