Mangaluru: Stoking a controversy, Vishwa Hindu Parishad district president Jagadish Shenava has reportedly justified killing of Ahammed Basheer.

Jagadish Shenava who is also a advocate by profession has raked up this controversy, while addressing a book release event `Hadedavvana Shaapa’ at TV Raman Pai Convention Hall here on Sunday.

“When Basheer was killed, the media portrayed it as killing of an innocent. But the truth is that he was killed to avenge murder of Deepak Rao, who too was an innocent. As district president of VHP, murder of Basheer doesn’t make me sad,” Shenava said.

It may be recalled that 32-year old youth Deepak Rao, a youth from Katipalla was brutally hacked to death by assailants who arrived in a car here at Samshuddin Circle in Katipalla on January 3. On the same night, 47-year-old Basheer was brutally assaulted by a gang of four at Kotara Choki. He breathed his last on January 7, after battling for his life for three days.