Pramesh S Jain
The Anekal police have arrested a 19-year-old youth in connection with the murder of Bikkalu Yallappa,who was staying in a rented house at Tattanahalli and had come to Anekal to witness the Dasara celebrations.
The accused,Sagar,was arrested by a team led by Inspector R.Prakash following an investigation that involved tracking his movements and analysing the location of the deceased’s mobile phone.
According to the police,the incident occurred on the day of the Anekal Dasara celebrations when Yallappa was sitting near a flagpole at a podium in the Chikkakere area.
Sagar and another person, identified as Dumma, allegedly followed him after noticing that he was carrying money.
The accused allegedly called Dumma, who was from the same locality,and attempted to pick Yallappa’s pocket.
However,Yallappa,who was reportedly under the influence of alcohol,resisted and assaulted both men.
During the altercation,Yallappa’s head allegedly struck a wooden plank lying beside the podium, leaving him seriously injured.
He collapsed with profuse bleeding. Dumma reportedly fled the scene,while Sagar allegedly took Yallappa’s mobile phone and contacted the emergency helpline 112,seeking the phone’s password.
The accused subsequently hid in the Chikkakere grounds and watched as an ambulance and the police arrived at the scene.
He later booked an Uber cab to Chandapura,visited the R.K.Dhaba,consumed alcohol and travelled towards Bengaluru by bus.
After reaching Majestic,he reportedly fell asleep before returning to Hargadde,where he switched off the deceased’s mobile phone.
Police continued to track the accused’s movements using the mobile phone’s location data and other leads.
Investigators eventually traced him to an Omni vehicle parked near the residence of a person known as Ganja Manu, behind the court premises.The police surrounded the area and arrested him.
Accused’s background under scrutiny
According to the police,Sagar had reportedly left his foster father’s home around four-and-a-half years ago and had since worked at various places before joining Ganja Manu’s group.
He had allegedly been brought to the Anekal and Jigani police stations on earlier occasions in connection with suspected pickpocketing incidents.
As he was a minor at the time,he had reportedly threatened to approach the Human Rights Commission (HRC).
Police are now examining the entire sequence of events, including the circumstances leading to Yallappa’s death, the role of the other person involved in the altercation and the accused’s movements after the incident.
Investigators are also verifying the evidence and statements to establish the precise circumstances of the alleged murder.Further investigation is underway.
