Muthappa Rai's son Ricky Rai alleges stepmother's role in attempted murder: Report

Ricky Rai told investigators that he had recently arrived in Bengaluru from Russia due to ongoing court cases related to property matters.

Ricky Rai, son of late underworld figure Muthappa Rai, has alleged that his father's second wife, and three others may have plotted an attempt on his life over a property dispute, The New Indian Express reported.

The car in which Ricky Rai, son of former underworld operative Muthappa Rai, was travelling in, damaged after an armed gang opened fire at him, at Bidadi near Bengaluru, on Saturday (PTI)

Rai was shot at around 12.50 am on Saturday while travelling from his farmhouse in Bidadi to Bengaluru. He was accompanied by his driver, Basavaraju, and his gunman, Rajpal, when an unidentified assailant opened fire at their vehicle.

Though he escaped unhurt, the incident raised alarm given his high-profile background.

On Sunday, Rai appeared before DySP Srinivas in Bidadi and recorded a formal statement, accusing his stepmother Anuradha, along with former aides Rakesh Malli, Nitesh Anathan, and others, of conspiring to kill him, the report added.

He told investigators that he had recently arrived in Bengaluru from Russia due to ongoing court cases related to property matters.

Following the incident, Bidadi police launched an investigation at the site of the attack and have been questioning Rai’s close aides. A complaint filed by driver Basavaraju led to the registration of a case under charges of attempted murder and provisions of the Arms Act.

To expedite the investigation and apprehend the shooter, the police have formed four special teams, the report added.

Who was Muthapa Rai?

Muthappa Rai, once among the most feared figures in Bengaluru’s underworld during the 1990s, later reinvented himself as a businessman and socialite. Hailing from Puttur in Dakshina Kannada, Rai quickly rose through the ranks of the city’s crime world before eventually claiming to have distanced himself from his criminal past.

He later became active in the real estate sector and founded Jaya Karnataka, a social organization. Despite his controversial background, Rai continued to maintain a high public profile until his death from cancer in 2020.