MYSURU: The Mandya police arrested seven persons in connection with the firing on a goods vehicle moving on the old Bengaluru-Mysuru highway in the early hours of Thursday. The incident sparked concerns over public safety and the use of firearms on a busy highway.
One of the arrested, Rohan Gowda (23) -- a resident of HV Colony in Mandya, is the son of a well-known advocate from the region. The police seized a car belonging to him that was allegedly used in the offence, along with an air pistol and ammunition. Authorities said the weapon has been sent to the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) to determine whether it is an air gun or a firearm.
The other arrested are Shashank (25) of Marigowda Layout, Afan (25) of Dwarakanagar, Mohammed Umar (25) of Kuvempunagar, Nithin (27) of Vidyanagar, Mohammed Abubakar (25) of Gandhinagar and Sachin (26) of Vidyanagar, all from Mandya.
Mandya Superintendent of Police VJ Shobharani told the media that the accused had attended Afan’s birthday party at a resort and were returning in the car when they allegedly committed the offence under the influence of alcohol.
The police said the incident occurred around 4.50 am near a petrol bunk close to Amaravathi Hotel on the outskirts of Mandya. The accused allegedly opened fire at the goods vehicle transporting medicines from Bengaluru to Mysuru after its driver, Shankar of Gokulam in Mysuru, did not give way to their car.
Cops tracking whether gun was legal, motive
The police said the occupants of the car also abused the driver before firing at the vehicle.
The case was registered based on a complaint filed by Shankar. Investigators are trying to establish where the weapon was purchased and whether it was acquired legally. They are also trying to find out the motive behind the incident. The incident triggered public criticism and raised questions over the circumstances leading to the shooting. Members of the Karunadu Sevakara Sanghatane demanded a transparent, high-level investigation, questioning why the accused were on the highway around 4 am and whether they had threatened other motorists before the incident.
The organisation’s leader, Naganna Gowda, alleged that the son of an influential person from the city was involved in the case and questioned the delay in registering the FIR, claiming there was an attempt to suppress the case.