Vijay Kumar alias Kavala, 43, once a dreaded rowdy who terrorised citizens before becoming a reformed man last year, stood true to the proverb: Those who live by the sword, die by the sword.
On Tuesday night, he was murdered by his one-time right-hand man and five other men, in much the same manner he had slain many of his rivals. With his murder, yet another bloodstained chapter of the City’s underworld has come to an end. Kavala’s dream of living a normal life was short-lived as he was murdered less than a year after he surrendered, according to the Central Crime Branch (CCB) police.
Kavala had realised a threat to his life, mainly by Thirukumar alias Kutty, 42, his one-time right-hand man in Deadly Soma’s gang. He had narrowly escaped an attempt on life in Shivajinagar in June last year.
Differences had cropped up between Kavala and Kutty over sharing the booty after Soma’s death. They parted ways and led independent gangs, trying every means to control the underworld. They often hatched plots and counterplots to eliminate each other, the police said.
In 2010, Kavala’s gang ambushed Kutty in Chitradurga, wounding his face and right shoulder, while the police were escorting him to a local court. The incident made Kutty determined to eliminate Kavala.
In May 2013, police took Kavala and other rowdies into preventive custody ahead of the Assembly elections. While in jail, he plotted to kill Kutty. After Kavala’s release, Kutty’s men who were also in the prison tipped him off about the former’s plans. Kutty then decided to eliminate Kavala before the latter succeeded in his attempts.
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