BENGALURU : In a shocking murder that was committed in broad daylight, a rowdy-sheeter was chased and hacked to death by a gang of armed assailants inside a referee’s room at the Bangalore Football Stadium in Ashoknagar on Sunday afternoon.
Following the murder, the Karnataka State Football Association’s (KSFA) Sporting Planet Trophy Prospective Women’s ‘A’ Division league — the second match of which was about to commence at 4 pm when the shocking incident occurred — was postponed by a few days.
The rowdy-sheeter was identified as 26-year-old Aravind alias Lee (26), a resident of New Bagaluru Layout. The police have formed two special teams and have launched a hunt for the killers. The police said Aravind was part of a local football team and had come to play six-a-side tournament at the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) ground right opposite the KSFA Stadium.
After the match, he was drinking juice with his friends by the roadside when the gang attacked him. Trying to escape, Aravind ran across the road into the KSFA Stadium and went into the stands. But the assailants chased him inside the stadium.
“Aravind escaped from the stands too and got into a referee’s room before locking himself inside. The gang, however, broke open the door and hacked him to death with deadly weapons. They immediately escaped from the spot,” the police said. The police are verifying the CCTV footage to identify the killers. DCP (Central) MN Anucheth said a murder case has been registered at the Ashoknagar police station and two special teams have been formed to nab the assailants.
Aravind was a rowdy sheeter of Bharathi Nagar police station and had 13 cases, including two attempts-to-murder, registered against him at various police stations.
Cops suspect rival’s role in murder
Aravind had been detained by the Bharathi Nagar police under the Goonda Act in May and was released two months ago. The advisory board which approves detention under the Act had given him relief as there were no suf ficient grounds to detain him under Goonda Act.
The police investigating the case suspect the role of another rowdy-sheeter Stanley behind Aravind’s murder. Sources said Stanley, also a rowdy sheeter in Bharathi Nagar, had an ongoing enmity with Aravind. Meanwhile, KSFA Secretary Satyanarayan clarified that neither the deceased nor the killers had any connection with the association.