Rowdy-sheeter shot at, injured in scuffle with cops

Venkatesh, a rowdy-sheeter at the Subramanyanagar police station, was fired at and injured in his leg, when he tried to give the police the slip after attacking a constable in the early hours of Tuesday.

An accused in a case of attempt to molestation and kidnap of a woman near Shivananda Circle on August 13, Venkatesh, on noticing the police, tried to speed away on his bike, but lost control and fell.

As the police closed in on him, he brandished a machete and began attacking them. In the scuffle, he stabbed Krishnamurthy, a constable attached to the Ashok Nagar police station, in the back and tried to assail others, too.

Ashok Nagar Police Inspector Rangappa fired a warning shot in the air, counselling him to surrender and drop his weapon. However, Venkatesh continued his assault, following which Rangappa fired at his right leg, injuring him.

Both Venkatesh and constable Krishnamurthy were taken to the Victoria Hospital, the police said.

On receiving information that Venkatesh would be coming to Maurya junction near Ananda Rao Circle to retrieve the car he had abandoned after the incident of August 13 night, the police lay in wait. Then one of them identified Venkatesh near Palace Cross Road at 2.15 am and sought to stop him.

DCP (Central) Sandeep Patil said three teams had been formed to trace Venkatesh.
The police are yet to confirm if he had come to retrieve any possession he had left behind in the car.

The special team was waiting near Palace Cross Road and the car deliberately left at the abandoned spot. As expected, Venkatesh arrived on his bike and assaulted the policemen waiting to nab him, Patil said.

There are around 10 warrants against Venkatesh who was evading arrest changing residences every month to avoid the police. He will be booked under the Goonda Act, Patil added.

The genesis

On August 13 night, Venkatesh, Manjunath and Belli, on reaching Shivananada Circle in their car, zipped past a family trying to cross the road and passed lewd comments at a woman member of the family.

Suresh Gowda, son of Hegganahalli Corporator Govinda Gowda, and his family had been to a restaurant to celebrate their son’s birthday. The trio passed lewd comments at Suresh Gowda’s wife Manasa, enraging Suresh who hurled abuses at them.

The car occupants returned to argue with them.

Venkatesh, after alighting, brandished a knife, following which Gowda’s wife raised an alarm which saw passersby nab Manjunath while the other two fled.
Gowda then lodged a complaint of attempt to molest and kidnap against the trio.