KALABURAGI: Three people, including a dhaba owner and two employees, were killed allegedly due to an old rivalry late Tuesday night at Driver Dhaba in Patna village on the outskirts of Kalaburagi city.
The deceased have been identified as the dhaba owner Siddarudha (32), Jagadish (25) and Ramachandra (35).
Police sources said around 8–10 miscreants rushed into the dhaba around 11:30 PM on Tuesday and attacked the 3 people with lethal weapons while they were working, and fled the scene.
Sources suspect the murders were linked to an old rivalry. On November 12 last year, a youth named Somu Rathod was killed near the same dhaba after reportedly quarrelling with the dhaba owner over payment for two beer bottles. Somu had allegedly assaulted the owner and employees during the altercation.
In retaliation, the dhaba owner and his associates allegedly assaulted and killed Somu Rathod, later dumping his body on the outskirts of the city. Following the incident, police arrested the owner, the late Siddarudha, Jagadish, and a few others in connection with the murder. Siddarudha and Jagadish were released on bail recently.
Police suspect that the associates of the late Somu Rathod killed Siddarudha and two others in retaliation for Somu's murder. A case has been registered at the Kalaburagi Suburban Police Station, and teams have been formed to track down the accused.