Dharwad, 11 April

A Youth Congress leader was allegedly killed by unidentified assailants after barging into his residence in the city, police said on Saturday.

The deceased was identified as Fairoz Pathan, 32.

The incident took place at his house in the Malapur area on late Friday, creating panic among local residents.

Police said that four unidentified assailants barged into his house and attacked him with lethal weapons.

City Police Commissioner N Shashikumar said while he (Pathan) was at home, between 9.30pm and 10pm, around three to four people came there and assaulted him. Due to the attack, he suffered severe bleeding and died on the spot, as per the information received.

"We have already got some clues about the suspects, and our officers and staff have been assigned to trace them. Efforts are on to arrest the accused as soon as possible," he told reporters here.

Responding to reports suggesting political rivalry or previous enmity, and whether the family had mentioned any such angle, the officer said, "No. I spoke with his mother and his sister. They are only saying that whoever committed this act should be punished.”

"We have not yet collected detailed information from them. Right now, family members and several leaders from their community have gathered here. They will lodge a complaint, and we will conduct a comprehensive investigation. Anyone who is directly or indirectly involved in the incident will be brought under the ambit of the law during the probe," the commissioner said.

"If someone enters a house and carries out an attack, it indicates that it might have been planned in an organised manner. We will conduct a thorough investigation to find out who planned it and who executed it. The probe will be comprehensive, and action will be taken to ensure such incidents do not recur," he added.

After committing the crime, the accused fled from the spot. The entire act has been captured on nearby CCTV cameras, providing crucial leads for the investigation, a senior police officer said.

Upon receiving information, police from the Sub-Urban Police Station rushed to the spot and conducted an inspection. The exact reason behind the murder is yet to be ascertained, he said.

According to the family, Pathan had married only about 15days ago and was sitting outside his house when the incident occurred. His mother claimed that about four to five men arrived at the spot and approached him, following which he ran inside the house and bolted the door. However, the attackers broke open the door and entered the house armed with knives, she said, adding that everything had been captured on CCTV cameras.

The family alleged that the assailants assaulted Pathan and also attacked other people present in the house, including a woman, using whatever objects they could find. They also took away two mobile phones from the house.