All four Accused Arrested…
A 28-year-old man, who the BJP claimed
was a party worker, was hacked to death by a gang here following which all four people were arrested in the case, police said on Thursday.
Santhosh was attacked by a four-member gang when he was returning home from a party last night, they said.
Meanwhile, the Karnataka unit of the BJP claimed that Santhosh was a party worker and the incident took place when he was putting up party flags and buntings in Chennappa Garden area in view of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to the city on February 4.
Police said Santhosh, an autorickshaw driver and involved in small scale money lending, was stabbed to death last night by four persons with whom he had “previous enmity”.
He was attacked while returning home from a party, they said adding all the four assailants, identified as Wasim, Philips, Irfan and Umar, had been arrested.
T Suneel Kumar ,Commissioner of police with other senior officials rushed to spot after collecting stock of the situation he said. The auto driver, Santosh, who was married only around 10 months ago was standing near a bakery at around 7.30 pm Wednesday, when Wasim and his friends arrived at the spot, going by the police. Soon a quarrel broke out and Wasim allegedly stabbed Santosh in the thigh with a screw driver.Alerted by witnesses, the police rushed to the spot and took Santosh to a near by private hospital, where he died as a result of his injury. Launching a manhunt, the police arrested Wasim and Philip and picked up Irfan and Umar near Palace Grounds Thursday noon while they were trying to leave the city and we have deployed around 500 policemen, along with KSRP and CAR platoons, were deployed in J.C. Nagar on Thursday to prevent any untoward incident, all the shops and establishments in Chinnappa Garden remained closed on Thursday sensing trouble. The traders had voluntarily closed their shops and there was not much movement of vehicles he added .
Bengaluru North Deputy Commissioner of Police Chetan Singh Rathore told media persons as Citing “rivalry” as the reason for the killing, He said there was a dispute between Santosh and Wasim for the past three months. “They had various issues, one of them was the sale of ganja by the accused,” said Deputy Commissioner of Police Chetan Singh Rathore.
Senior Officer told media persons that “As soon as news of the murder broke out, people started gathering at the spot. It’s claimed that Santosh recently joined the BJP Yuva Morcha in Ramaswamypalya and was seen working for it. This seems to have made a few people angry in Chinnappa Garden. But although Wasim’s father is a Congress leader, there is no political twist to the murder,” said a senior police officer, explaining that preliminary investigation had revealed that Santosh and Wasim often quarrelled as the latter reportedly owed the auto driver money for ganja. Santosh allegedly wanted Wasim and his friends to buy him liquor and cigarettes every day as a pay- off. And on Wednesday, when he demanded his money the two quarrelled, according to him.
“Santhosh had accused Wasim of selling ganja in the area and had asked him to stop his activities,” he said.
The incident also led to a war of words between Union Minister and BJP leader D V Sadananda Gowda and Karnataka Home Minister Ramalinga Reddy.
Gowda slammed the Karnataka government for its “failure” on the law and order front.
Meanwhile, former chief minister and BJP leader B.S. Yeddyurappa has taken strong objection to Home Minister Ramalinga Reddy saying Wasim stabbed Santosh’s thigh with a screwdriver during a fight and probably did not intend to kill him. “How can the Home Minister say he did not intend to kill? Was the recent circular intended to protect such innocent people?” he tweeted.
Santhosh’s relative speaking to media persons said that it was my relatives birthday yesterday.His sister had also given birth so they were celebrating of late there are a lot of Muslim boys in the area who indulge in drugs and created ruckus.He has also grown up in the same area so he has inquired with them.A small issue has become big and these boys have stabbed him he added .
R.Ashoka BJP Leader told media persons, Wasim is an SDPI worker.His father is a Congress ward president.He sells Marijuana and runs a rogue gang.Bengaluru which is known as ITBT city has become a crime city.The Chief Minister and Home Minister have failed to provide security to the people in the city he added.
BJP worker told, Who is to blame for the murder? I am accusing Siddaramaiah,Ramalinga Reddy and K J George, The three of them have failed to provide security.This is the 24th such murder.What about the families of these victims ? The chief minister does not come to give his statement when a Hindu is murdered but he is the first to give a statement when a Muslim is murdered this also means that he is against Hindus added.
Ramalinga Reddy,Home Minister told media persons that if there is a fight between a Muslim and Hindu,the BJP claim that the Hindu member is there worker.This is absolutely false Santhosh is a not BJP worker at all Santhosh and Wasim know each other since they were kids.They have all grown up together there is no issue of party feud .Wasim’s father was a Congress ward president.However Wasim and santhosh did not have any political influence that instigated the fight.Security has been increased in the area and the case has been handed over to the city crime branch.”The proper reason or motive of the murder will be known only after the investigation,”and Rs.10 Lakh compensation has been announced to Santhosh’s kin by the government ,Santosh’s family and friends have a few demands, which will be conveyed to the Chief Minister,” he added.
The RSS and BJP claim that 23 of their workers have been killed during the years of Congress rule. The state government denies this and says personal enmity or other reasons were behind at least some of those murders. Karnataka votes in a few months from now.
On Friday morning BJP Leader B S Yeddyurappa with other leaders visited Santhosh’s house to condolence his death.
