Ballari, January 4: In a major breakthrough in the Ballari violence case, police have arrested three private gunmen linked to Satish Reddy, an aide of Congress MLA Bharath Reddy. The arrests follow investigations into the January 1 clashes that left Congress worker Rajasekhar Reddy dead after firing during a violent confrontation.
The arrested gunmen have been identified as Baljit Singh, Mahendra Singh and Gurcharan Singh. According to senior police officials, forensic analysis has confirmed that the fatal bullet which killed Rajasekhar was fired from a weapon used by Gurcharan Singh, one of the private gunmen.
The incident occurred amid clashes triggered by a banner dispute related to the installation of a Valmiki Maharshi statue. What began as a political confrontation quickly escalated into stone-pelting, assaults, petrol bomb attacks and gunfire, plunging parts of Ballari into chaos.
Police sources said that over 20 accused have been arrested so far, including 10 Congress workers and 11 BJP workers, by Brucepet and Ballari Rural police. All the arrested individuals have been subjected to medical examination at VIMS Hospital before being taken into custody for further questioning.
CCTV footage, eyewitness accounts and ballistic reports are being examined to identify those directly responsible for instigating the violence. Investigators are also probing how firearms and petrol bombs were brought to the protest site and whether the violence was pre-planned.
Assistant Superintendent of Police Ravikumar confirmed that custodial interrogation is underway and that the accused will be produced before the court. As Sunday is a court holiday, arrangements are being made to present them before the duty magistrate at the judge’s residence.
Meanwhile, the Congress party’s fact-finding committee led by H.M. Revanna has submitted its preliminary report to Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar (He is also KPCC President), while a BJP fact-finding team has also visited the violence-hit areas.
The Karnataka government has taken a serious view of the incident, reiterating that strict action will be taken against anyone found guilty, irrespective of political affiliation. Police officials said further arrests are likely as the investigation progresses.
ಇದನ್ನೂ ಓದಿ: ಬಳ್ಳಾರಿ ಹಿಂಸಾಚಾರ ಪ್ರಕರಣ: ಶಾಸಕ ಭರತ್ ರೆಡ್ಡಿ ಆಪ್ತನ ಮೂವರು ಖಾಸಗಿ ಗನ್ಮ್ಯಾನ್ಗಳ ಬಂಧನ; ಕಾಂಗ್ರೆಸ್ ಕಾರ್ಯಕರ್ತನ ಸಾವಿಗೆ ಗುಂಡಿನ ನಂಟು
Also Read: Ballari Was Peaceful Until Janardhan Reddy’s Arrival, Says DK Shivakumar; Congress Backs MLA Bharath Reddy
Also Read: Ballari Violence Update: Zameer Ahmed Khan, Bharat Reddy Brief CM Siddaramaiah on Law & Order
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