Muthappa Rai, former underworld don, dies at 68

Reformed underworld don Muthappa Rai (68) died early morning on Friday in Bengaluru. He was suffering from brain cancer, he is survived by his two sons Rocky Rai and Vicky Rai.

He passed away around 2 am after failing to respond to treatment at Manipal Hospital. He was admitted to hospital on April 30 after his condition had worsened. He was diagnosed with cancer in 2018. He had called a press conference at this residence in Bidadi recently and had admitted that he had a brain cancer. His last rites will be carried out in the presence of his family members and close associates not exceeding more than 20 members.

Born in Puttur, Rai was a commerce graduate, and started his career as an officer at Public sector undertaking Vijaya Bank and later shifted to operating dance club and restaurants along with his wife Rekha.

There was an attack on Rai’s team in Puttur, following which he changed his base to Bengaluru then to Mumbai and later Dubai. Rai had come in contact with Dawood Ibrahim’s right hand man, Sharad Shetty but after Shetty was killed in 2000, Rai fled to Gulf and he was later extradited to Bengaluru city in 2002 on several criminal cases.

Rai was acquicted in all the cases including sensational murder case of Subbaraj a builder in 2001. Rai then turned to social activism with his organisation Jaya Karnataka, a non political organisation, and a large number of activists joined the organisation.

Couple of months ago when Ravi Pujari was arrested and brought to Bengaluru, CCB police visited Rai’s residence and questioned him following Pujari's confession statement that he was operating Rai’s extortion racket.

Rai acted in Tulu movie Kanchilda Bale in 2011 and even Ram Gopal Varma announced a film titled Rai, based on Rai’s life and Vivek Oberoi featuring in the lead role.