Rowdy killed in encounter

Reddy (30), who has various aliases, including Nagireddy, Krishna Kumar, Krishna, Vishnu, Chetan Kumar and Daniel  was involved in a series of 13 heinous offences, including six murder cases, an armed robbery and two cases of escape from judicial custody, police said.

Reddy was involved in a case of homicide of Ramakrishna Chepoor registered at Hounslow, Hertfordshire, London. He had also killed Chandrakanth Kambale, an Armed Reserve Police constable before escaping from judicial custody in Belgaum in May 2008.

The Upparpet police had launched a search operation to arrest him in a case as the Fast Track Court-6 had issued a warrant to produce him on or before February 10. Police Commissioner Shankar Bidari constituted a team headed by ACP (CCB Special Enquiry Squad) police inspectors B  N Nyamagowda, Balegowda, Hanumantharaya, K C Ashokan and Malteesh. They made efforts to trace him in Andhra Pradesh, Orissa and Assam for the past one and half months.

The team gathered information about his movement from a prisoner who was in touch with Reddy. The police learnt that Reddy was planning to rob  a multinational bank in the City.

According to the Commissioner, around 11 pm on Monday night, Balegowda received information that Reddy was travelling in a vehicle (OR-10- DA-5754) in Ramamurthynagar area, for arranging bail for D D Ravi who is in jail for planning a dacoity. Balegowda and team swung into action while another team led by Nyamagowda proceeded around midnight.

On Tuesday, around 4 am, Inspector Ashokan and his men were doing the rounds on Kalkere Main Road in Ramamurthynagar. Nyamagowda informed Balegowda a black car was sighted on the Kalkere double road.

Ashokan and Balegowda rushed towards 11th cross, flagged down the vehicle and blocked the road. In the glow of the street light, they saw a four-wheeler speeding from the opposite direction from Ramamurthynagar towards NRI Layout, Bidari said.

The officers ordered the driver of the four-wheeler to stop. But, the driver tried to run over  the policemen standing on the footpath, who jumped over the drain to dodge the vehicle. In the melee, the wheels of the four-wheeler got struck on the footpath.

At that moment, Reddy fired  on the police team. Despite warnings, he fired three rounds. In self-defence and in order to protect the lives of his men, Balegowda fired once from his service pistol, causing serious injuries to Reddy , Bidari added.

The police rushed him to a nearby hospital where he was declared brought dead. The Additional District Magistrate, Bangalore City, has been directed to conduct a magisterial inquiry into the incident.

A trail of murders

* On September 28, 2004 Reddy stabbed Radhakrishna to death.
* On January 19, 2005, he killed Rajan Arthum in Bangalore. 
* On his directions, his associates allegedly killed a driver Ravi from Hebbal after snat- ching his chain in Sarjapura on November 12, 2008.
* While lodged in the Parapp- ana Agrahara jail, he directed his associates and had driver Imtiyaz killed in Sulibele.
* Shifted from Parappana Agrahara to Hindalaga Jail in Belgaum, he escaped on May 10, 2009, after stabbing to death constable Chandrakanth Kambale.
* Escaping to Vishakapatnam with two associates, Reddy stabbed to death a car  driver.