HUBLI: Shivappa Malappanavar (37), president of Karadikoppa gram panchayat near Hubli, was shot dead by unidentified assailants late on Friday evening. Police suspect political rivalry to be the reason behind the murder.
Tension prevailed in the village following the murder of the Congress party man. The police said unidentified miscreants, who came in a Maruti omni van, opened fire on Malappanavar, who was sitting in front of his house at Karadikoppa around 8.45 pm.
The bullet struck him in the chest. The villagers immediately rushed him to a private hospital in Hubli, where the doctors declared him brought dead.
Dharwad Superintendent of Police Dileep and senior police officials visited the spot. As a preventive measure, the police have deployed additional forces at the village and at the hospital, where the body is kept. Hubli Rural police have registered a case and are on the look-out for the killers.