He is no stranger to controversy

Krishnappa is no stranger to controversies. He is popularly known as ‘Bar Krishnappa’ after he opened a bar at Parappana Agrahara some years ago.

“He is very popular in our locality for various reasons. He was trying to build his own empire with his money and muscle power. He had a fearsome reputation as he reined in his enemies,” a vegetable vendor at Chennakeshavanagar, said. “Krishnappa and quarrels are two sides of the same coin. It’s high time he was arrested and sent to jail forever.”

Krishnappa reportedly married three women and courted a few others. An alcoholic and drug addict, he is involved in cases of assault, murder, attempt to murder and dowry death, besides some petty accidents, a constable attached to Parappana Agrahara police station claimed.

“Hundreds had gathered outside his house to teach him a lesson after his daughter-in-law reportedly hanged herself in 2007. Some suspected Krishnappa and his son harassed her for dowry and she committed suicide,” the constable went on. “I had closed the door and prevented the mob from entering the house. The mob would have beaten him to death then and there.”

Krishnappa and his son ran away after her suicide. His son reportedly hanged himself near a lake two days later. His another son from his second wife also hanged himself mysteriously a few years ago. Krishnappa is involved in some land disputes as well. He constructed a building recently and rented it to an RTO.

He used his political connections to come out of jail. The Central Prison is not a new place for him. He was jailed a couple of times, Parappana Agrahara police said, terming him a “big nuisance”. They used abusive language against him as they failed to control the chaos at the accident spot on Tuesday.

“Going by how the accident occurred, it seems Krishnappa was heavily drunk. The vehicle clocked more than 100 kmph at the time of the accident. He switched off this three mobile phones and fled to Tamil Nadu,” said the Electronics City traffic police. According to a senior officer, there are definite clues that he is hiding in that state. A special team has been formed to apprehend him.

Tense moments were witnessed when vegetable vendors planned to keep the bodies outside Krishnappa’s residence until his arrest.