Either arrest accused or allow us mercy killing, says disappointed family of slain BJP leader

Chikkamagaluru, June 24

Disappointed over non-arrest of accused who killed BJP leader Anwar Gauri in Karnataka's Chikkamagalguru district even after passage of five years, his family members on Saturday demanded either the culprits should be arrested immediately or they be allowed to go for mercy killing.

Anwar, the local BJP leader from Chikkamagaluru, was hacked to death on June 22, 2018. He was the President of the minority morcha and actively strengthened the party in the city. The miscreants had stabbed him six times with a dagger.

Following the incident, the situation had turned serious in Chikkamagaluru city. Present Tamil Nadu BJP Chief K. Annamalai, then working as the SP there, had controlled the situation and prevented the violence.

However, the police failed to get clues about the murderers after which Anwar's family staged a protest and hunger strike. In 2019, the then BJP government handed over the case to the CID. However, no accused could be arrested.

Now, the family is demanding the newly-elected Congress government in the state to give them justice by arresting accused.

Anwar's brother Abdul Kabir and other family members have already submitted a memorandum in this regard to the district authorities.

"The officers investigating the case tell us that probe is 90 per cent complete. We suspect politics behind not arresting the killers even after passage of five years," Abdul Kabir said.

"The officers who seemed to work efficiently were transferred which has raised our suspicion. Justice should be given to our family or consent should be given for mercy killing," he added.