A screenshot from a video showing the car in which Ricky Rai was travelling at Bidadi near Bengaluru on Saturday.
Credit: PTI Photo
Bengaluru: Rakesh Malli, former accomplice of ex-underworld don Muthappa Rai, appeared before the Ramanagar police on Tuesday for interrogation in connection with the alleged shooting at Rai’s second son, Ricky Rai, last week.
Ricky was shot in his moving Toyota Fortuner from a distance of less than 100 meters near his house in Bidadi early Saturday.
The assailant, apparently hiding behind a cement wall, fired a shotgun. The bullet pierced the car door and brushed the driver’s back before scraping Ricky’s right arm and nose.
In his police complaint, Ricky's driver, Basavaraju G., named four suspects: Rakesh Malli, Muthappa Rai’s friend-turned-foe; Muthappa’s second wife, Anuradha; Nitesh Shetty, a businessman; and Vaidyanathan, Shetty’s friend.
Malli was named as accused number one in the case by the complainant. Police had summoned him in connection with the case.
A team led by Srinivas Gowda, Superintendent of Police (SP), Ramanagar, grilled Malli for over five hours, and he was later let go. Malli had arrived for interrogation with his advocate. Sources said that he has maintained that he doesn’t have any connection with the shooting.
Additionally, police have grilled Ricky’s car driver and his gunman over the last two days and have recorded their statements. Police haven’t ruled out any angles in the case, including possible staging of the act.
Four police teams are investigating past rivalry, business feud, inheritance dispute, and real estate dealings as possible motives.