Bengaluru: Karnataka Home minister Araga Jnanendra has drawn widespread criticism after he claimed that a recent murder of a 22-year-old youth here was because he did not know Urdu, retracting the statement later by stating that the incident was actually over road rage.
"I have gathered information regarding Chandru's murder. He was asked to speak in Urdu, he didn't know, when he said he didn't know any language other than Kannada, they killed him by stabbing him repeatedly" Jnanendra told media at the BJP office at Jagannath Bhavan in Malleswaram this morning.
The minister said that the Dalit was murdered ruthlessly and a few people have already been arrested in the case. However, Bengaluru Police Commissioner Kamal Pant refuted the claims made by the minister, saying the killing was over road rage.
"On the midnight of April 4 at around 2:30 am, Simon Raj and Chandru, both friends, had gone to an eatery at Hosaguddadahalli, and as the shop was closed they were returning. While returning on their bike, they collided with another bike, being ridden by one Shahid," he said.
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This led to a quarrel. "During the fight, Shahid along with two friends (who joined him) stabbed Chandru on his right thigh and the assailants fled from the spot. Chandru was shifted to Victoria hospital, where he succumbed to his injury. All the three accused are arrested", Pant said.
Speaking at the Kannada Bhawan shortly afterward, Jnanendra retracted his "wrong" statement, saying, "I have just got the detailed report...I had said it (murder) was due to a language issue, but it is not right...Police have given a detailed report. It is a case of road rage. My statement was wrong."