Bengaluru:
A man with a criminal background was brutally hacked to death by a group of armed attackers in broad daylight on a busy road in Bengaluru’s JP Nagar on Sunday evening.
The shocking murder, which took place near IG Circle, was caught on CCTV, with the visuals showing the attackers chasing the victim before repeatedly assaulting him with machetes in full public view.
The victim has been identified as Raja alias Halmuk Raja. According to police, the accused arrived in a car with a commercial number plate and intercepted Raja on the road. As he tried to flee for his life, the three men chased him down and attacked him with machetes.
The CCTV footage shows Raja running desperately to escape before being caught by the attackers. Even after he collapsed on the road, the assailants continued to attack him repeatedly. The accused fled the spot in the same vehicle immediately after the assault.
The attack unfolded on a busy road, but frightened bystanders stayed away. Several people ran from the spot while motorists drove past without stopping.
The victim was shifted to a private hospital in a critical condition, where he later succumbed to his injuries.
JP Nagar police rushed to the scene and secured the area. An investigation has been launched into the incident, with a hunt to track down the accused.
Revenge Killing Angle Under Scanner
Police suspect the murder could be linked to an old gang rivalry. Raja alias Halmuk Raja had several criminal cases against him, including murder, attempt to murder and robbery.
Investigators are probing whether the killing was in retaliation for the murder of notorious Banashankari criminal “Stand Kutti” alias Kutti, a case in which Raja was an accused nearly a decade ago.
Police sources said Raja had also been lodged in Parappana Agrahara Central Prison along with Ballari Shivu. He was allegedly associated with the syndicate of South Bengaluru criminal Arasayya and had also figured in the Subramanyapura double murder case involving Channapatna-based outlaws.
Police are investigating all angles, with the decade-old enmity emerging as the primary motive behind the murder.
