8 arrested in brutal murder of youth congress leader

Dharwad: Ina chilling incident that has rocked political circles in Karnataka, Youth Congress leader Fairoz Pathan was brutally murdered outside his residence in Dharwad, with police arresting eight accused within 24 hours of the crime. The murder allegedly carried out by his close associates, has exposed a disturbing case of betrayal and internal rivalry.

According to police, the murder was executed by a nine-member gang. While five were directly involved in the murder, three others were part of the conspiracy. One accused is still absconding. The arrested have been identified as prime accused Mohammed Shah, along with Kaif, Ghouse, Sameer and Saddam, among others.

The incident occurred around 6:30 PM at Pathan’s residence. CCTV footage has revealed shocking visuals of the attack. Pathan was sitting in the veranda, speaking on his phone, when a man in a blue-and-white check shirt approached him and sat beside him. Within seconds, two more men stood near the gate, keeping watch. Suddenly, the man sitting next to Pathan pulled out a weapon and stabbed him in the abdomen. The others rushed in and repeatedly attacked him before fleeing the scene. The entire assault lasted less than 40 seconds, leaving Pathan critically injured and eventually leading to his death.

After committing the crime, the accused attempted to mislead investigators by dumping Pathan’s mobile phone near the Dharwad-Belagavi border. However, police tracked the phone’s location, which became a crucial lead in cracking the case. Under the leadership of Hubballi-Dharwad Police Commissioner N Shashikumar, three teams were formed to trace the suspects. In a late-night operation, police arrested the accused near Uppin Betageri village, where they were hiding in a relative’s house.

Preliminary investigation suggests that all the accused were known to Pathan and shared close personal and political ties. However, recent differences are suspected to have triggered the brutal killing. Police are probing the exact motive behind the crime.

The tragedy is further deepened by the fact that Pathan was set to get married on April 24. His family, who were preparing for celebrations, is now engulfed in grief. Authorities have assured that strict action will be taken against all those involved, as the investigation continues.