Four arrested for murder of notorious criminal Bhagappa Harijan

VIJAYAPURA: The police have arrested four people, including the prime accused Prakash a.k.a Pintu Agarakeda, within 24 hours of the murder of notorious criminal Bhagappa Harijan outside his house on Tuesday night.

Clockwise from top: The arrested Prakash, Rahul, Gadigeppa and Sudeep.

Police Superintendent Lakshman Nimbaragi said the murder was an act of revenge for the killing of Ravi Melinakeri, the elder brother of Prakash. The arrested include Prakash a.k.a Pinttu Agarakeda B H, Rahul Talakeri, Gadigeppa a.k.a Manikantha Danakoppa and Sudeep Kamble. The police are on the lookout for the other accused, the SP said.

Bhagappa Harijan was attacked with sharp weapons and shot twice by five men who came in an autorickshaw when he was walking near his rented house at Mandina Nagar here after dinner. One of the bullets had hit Bhagappa. The SP said Bhagappa had taken the house on rent as he was to record his statement in court on February 19 in a case related to an attack on him at the Vijayapura district court on August 8, 2017.

Ravi Melinakeri (right) was murdered allegedly by Bhagappa Harijan.

In August last year, Ravi Melinakeri was brutally murdered in the city and his younger brother Prakash was aware that Bhagappa had a hand in the killing. Hence, he hatched a plan to eliminate Bhagappa, the SP said. Bhagappa Harijan would disconnect power supply in the locality whenever he was at home. Making use of this, Prakash and his accomplices planned the attack when Bhagappa would be at home, the SP added.