Bidadi police arrest former gunman of Ricky Rai

BENGALURU: The case of the gun attack on Ricky Rai, the son of late businessman and former underworld figure Muthappa Rai, is taking interesting twists and turns. Police sources feel it was a planned fake shooting.

The firing on Ricky Rai was done by his own gunman, Vittal, who is his former gunman. He has been taken into custody by the Bidadi police for questioning. Vitthal, who hails from Madikeri, owns two air guns and two licenced shotguns.

According to the police, Vittal had a personal conversation with Ricky Rai before the firing, and he left the farmhouse shortly before the incident. Police recovered the CCTV footage of their meeting. After the shooting, Vittal returned to the farmhouse only to return after Ricky Rai was hospitalized, which raised suspicions among the police.

Ramanagara SP Srinivas Gowda said that they have been investigating the case for the past three days and have been questioning a suspect. They have also issued notices to several people, including those who were mentioned in the FIR.

SP Srinivas further said, “Further interrogation is pending; no one has been arrested. One person has given information during the preliminary interrogation that someone knows about the incident. We are interrogating this thoroughly. The motive for the firing is not yet known. After the incident, the gunmen fired in the air. The gunman was admitted to the hospital after he lost consciousness during questioning. Empty cartridges and a dummy mobile phone were kept at the scene. We have given notice to three people who have been booked in the FIR. Anuradha, the second wife of Muthappa Rai, has not been contacted”, he said.

The police suspect that Vittal, who was a gunman for Muttappa Rai and later worked as a security guard for Ricky Rai, might be involved in the shooting. Vittal had a conversation with Ricky Rai before the incident and left the farmhouse, only to return after Ricky Rai was hospitalized.

The police investigation has revealed some differences in the statements given by Ricky Rai’s staff, gunmen and security personnel. The forensic evidence collected from the scene also doesn’t match the statements given by the witnesses.

The police suspect that Ricky Rai might have planned the attack himself, and the investigation is ongoing to determine the motive behind the incident. Vittal, who was taken into custody, has been hospitalized due to chest pain and the police will continue to question him after his discharge.

The police have also seized two licensed shotguns and an air gun from Vittal’s possession and the police are trying to determine if the shooting was indeed a staged attack.