BENGALURU: An FIR has been registered against former minister and MLA Byrathi Basavaraj and four others in connection with the murder of a 44-year-old rowdy-sheeter.
He was brutally hacked to death by eight to nine assailants near his house at Halasuru Lake, in the Bharathi Nagar police station limits on Tuesday night.
According to the FIR, at around 8:10 pm, eight to nine unidentified assailants attacked the victim with iron rods and machetes and fled the scene in a car and on bikes.
Byrathi Basavaraj has been named as Accused No. 5 in the FIR for allegedly conspiring to commit the murder over a property dispute. Jagadeesh (A1), Kiran (A2), Vimal (A3), Anil (A4), and others have also been named based on the complaint filed by the deceased Shiva Prakash’s mother at the Bharathi Nagar police station.
Shiva Prakash had 11 cases registered against him, and a rowdy sheet was opened in his name in 2006. According to the complaint, Shivakumar was involved in real estate dealings.
In 2023, he purchased land in Kithaganur and obtained a General Power of Attorney in his name. He constructed a shed on the property and appointed two women as caretakers.
Jagadeesh and Kiran allegedly threatened Shivakumar over the phone and demanded that he transfer the property to their names. Shivakumar had filed a police complaint after receiving life threats over the property, in which he allegedly named Jagadeesh, Kiran, and MLA Byrathi Basavaraj, the FIR stated.
Speaking to reporters, MLA Byrathi Basavaraj said, “I don’t know why my name is being linked to this murder. If the deceased had mentioned my name in a previous complaint, the police never contacted me", he said.
The police said that they are currently analysing the CCTV footage and further investigations are on.