Five arrested for rowdy sheeter's murder in Bengaluru, BJP MLA named in FIR to be questioned: Report

Five men have been arrested for the murder of Shivaprakash, a rowdy-sheeter. Among the accused is BJP MLA Byrathi Basavaraj, who has not been arrested yet.

Five men have been taken into custody for the brutal killing of Shivaprakash, also known as Biklu Shivu, a former history-sheeter who had later moved into real estate, news agency PTI reported.

BJP legislator Byrathi Basavaraj, who was named in the FIR as the fifth accused, has not yet been arrested. (iStockphoto)

The murder, which unfolded in front of the victim’s mother, occurred late Tuesday night in Bharathi Nagar, sending shockwaves through the neighbourhood. The suspects have been identified as Jagadish, Kiran, Vimal, Anil, and Fredrick. They were apprehended shortly after the incident and presented before a magistrate, who ordered a 10-day police custody for further investigation.

In a surprising twist, BJP legislator Byrathi Basavaraj - representing KR Puram - who was also named in the First Information Report (FIR) as the fifth accused, has not yet been arrested. His inclusion in the list has stirred political controversy.

Basavaraj has publicly denied any connection to the killing, claiming he has been falsely implicated with malicious intent, according to the PTI report. The MLA however may be called in for questioning soon as investigators work to unravel the motive and the chain of events behind the murder.

Police registered a case of murder based on the complaint filed by the victim’s mother, Vijayalakshmi, who reportedly witnessed the attack.

Who was Biklu Shivu?

Shivaprakash was a known history-sheeter and had an extensive criminal background, with as many as 11 cases lodged against him and a rowdy sheet opened back in 2006. He was most likely killed due to old rivalry or gang links. His mother Vijayalakshmi reportedly told officials that two of the accused, namely - Jagadish and Kiran - had illegally taken over her son’s property in Kitaknoor and forced two female guards off the premises.

(With inputs from PTI)