Four held in bar owner's murder case

Bengaluru: Bengaluru police arrested four members of a gang which is allegedly involved in killing pub owner, Manish Shetty on Saturday, the police said.

The gang was hiding in a lodge in the city after committing the crime.

The police had opened fire on two of the gang members who allegedly tried to attack the police who had taken them to recover murder weapons - four machetes hidden in burial ground on Hosur Road on the outskirts of the city.

According to the police, the arrested are identified as Shashikiran alias Munna (45), resident of Somavarpet, Kodagu, Ganesha (39), resident of Mangaluru, Nitya (29), resident of Somavarpet, Kodagu and Akshay (32), resident of Bantwala in Mangaluru.

Speaking to reporters here, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Central Division), M. N. Anucheth said that the police had to open fire at Munna, mastermind of this murder, and Akshay, who had gone with the police to recover murder weapons.

He added that personal rivalry between Munna and the deceased Shetty seemed to be the motive behind this murder.

"During the course of investigation, the police team had taken Munna and Akshay to Barlane cemetery on Hosur Road to recover the machetes used for the offence. At around 6.30 p.m., both the accused tried to assault the police team and our team opened fire on them in self defence," he explained.

In response to a question, Munna seems to have nursed a grudge against Manish Shetty for his involvement in Karkala murder case. "First the gang opened fire on Shetty, later, they hacked him to death using machete," he said.

It may be recalled that four bike-borne assailants shot 45-year-old Manish Shetty, in front of the Duet bar owned by him at Rest House Park Road (RHP Road, off Brigade Road) at around 9 p.m. on October 15.

Immediately he was shifted to Mallya hospital for treatment but the doctors declared him brought dead.IANS