Cops trace IDs of main culprits behind Rashmi's attack

Nazarbad police who are investigating into the assault on IAS officer Rashmi V Mahesh have identified four close relatives of Gazzetted Manager Venkatesh, who actually manhandled the officer on the day.

Following the death of Venkatesh, who was found dead in a sump on the premises of Administrative Training Institute (ATI), the enraged relatives, accompanied by the suspended workers of a catering agency, had targeted the IAS officer.

The four relatives are among the total 31 accused in the case, who are currently on the run.

The man who hit the officer with footwear has been identified as Madhu, the younger brother of Manjula, wife of Venkatesh. Another person identified as Shanthakumar is the accused who slapped the officer when the latter was getting into the car. He too is Manjula’s brother.

Both hail from Garemathippahalli, Kunigal taluk in Tumkur district. The other two relatives who created ruckus on October 15 are - Kamala, younger sister of Manjula, and her husband Shivaraj who belong to another village in the same district.

A five member team of policemen attached to Nazarbad station who went to Garemathippahalli and another village on Saturday, succeeded in tracing their identities with the help of the TV grab.

People in the neighbourhood of the accused, identified them as Venkatesh’s relatives who had left for Mysore on that day after learning about his death.

However, the investigating team had to return empty handed as the accused have not returned to their native, after the incident. Police Commissioner M  A Saleem exuded confidence that the accused on the run will be apprehended soon as their identities have been traced.

Meanwhile, the investigators have identified the man who orchestrated the mob on that day as suspended catering manager Jagadish and his friend Abhishek Gowda, both from Mysore. They are also on the run.

Jagadish was working for Bharani Catering Agency of Bangalore, which had bagged the contract at ATI that was revoked by Rashmi later. Following the cancellation of the tender, Jagadish had been rendered jobless along with several others.