Notorious rowdy arrested in encounter

The accused, Balla (30), was involved in more than 15 cases including murder, attempt to murder and robbery and was evading police action during last couple of months.

The Organised Crime Wing of CCB had received information about Balla’s movement and intercepted him near Rajagopalanagar industrial area, around 12.15 am.

Deputy Commissioner of Police (Crime) S N Sidramappa said: “Our ACP SY Hadimani and his team comprising inspectors Raviprakash, Balegowda, Mudavi and constable Mahadev tried to stop Balla’s car and asked him to surrender. But all of sudden, he attacked inspector Raviprakash and constable Mahadev with a long sword injuring them in their hands.”

Immediately, inspectors Mudavi and Balegowda opened fire at him and three bullets hit him on his thigh. Balla is now under treatment at Victoria Hospital.

Balla’s mother, however, had a different version. She said the police had picked up Balla from his house, but was trying to stage it as an encounter.

Rubbishing her allegations, Sidramappa said: “There is nothing new about such allegations. Every time such a thing happens, family members of the accused come up with the same allegations. We have been tracking his movement since a couple of months.”

Police said Balla became a criminal in 1998 after he killed Tractor Rave, a rowdy. In 2005, he was involved in Morn Nags murder and his name also figured among the accused in Shiv Kumara’s murder in 2008. Earlier this year, he was involved in Lingam murder case.
Balla was involved in a murder case in Banashankari police station, attempt-to-murder case in Hanumanth Nagar police station and a series of criminal cases in Ashok Nagar, Thyagaraja Nagar, Yeshwanthpur, Jalahalli, Subramanya Nagar, Giri Nagar and Chamrajpet and Maddur.

Recent encounters

* April 12, 2010: Rowdy Johnshon, wanted in two murder cases, was killed in an early morning encounter near Nagawara.

* January 01, 2010: Mahadevpura police inspector Mohammeed Rafi shot at Namraz Bahadur Thappa wanted in murder cases. Thappa had allegedly stabbed Rafi during the encounter.

* February 17, 2010: KGF Ramesh, involved in more than 40 house breaks, was shot in the arm.

* December 20, 2009: Wasim, brother of notorious gangster Nasru, was arrested along with his five associates following an encounter near Bagaloor.

* June 09, 2009: Rowdy Sayed Sadiq Ahmed was arrested by Ashok Nagar police after cops opened fire at him in Shivajinagar. He was wanted in 11 cases.

* April 09, 2009: Gangster Paramadhama was killed in an encounter in Naganathapura. He was accused in BJP worker Chandrahekhar Babu’s murder.