In a swift crackdown, police arrested seven individuals, including a woman, for the brutal murder of Karthik, a known rowdy-sheeter, who was hacked to death early Monday morning.
The prime accused, Praveen, a former driver of Karthik who now works in Bengaluru, allegedly orchestrated the murder due to personal threats from the victim. Police said that Karthik had been threatening to kill Praveen and his family after the two fell out two years ago over a woman—a married mother of two, who was reportedly in a relationship with Karthik.
According to Superintendent of Police N Vishnuvardhana, Praveen conspired with others, including Avinash (a listed rowdy), Venkatesh, Ravi, Chandu, and Anand. The woman, a neighbor of Karthik, allegedly tipped off the group about Karthik’s location. Karthik had been staying at a hotel with another girl since May 1. The girl in the hotel room was unaware of the murder until police arrived.
Originally suspected to be financially motivated, the investigation revealed that personal enmity was at the heart of the crime. Acting on the woman’s information, the accused used sharp weapons—including daggers—to attack and kill Karthik around 1:40 AM on Monday.
