Ex-VC’s murder: Cops arrest 7 more, including two women

The city police arrested seven more people, including two women, in connection with the murder of Alliance University former vice-chancellor Ayyappa Dore. With this, the total number of arrests in the case has gone up to 10.

Dore (53) was hacked to death near his house in RT Nagar on October 15 when he had stepped out for a walk after dinner.

Police identified the arrested as T Kantharaj (28), a drummer and a resident of Jayamahal; Sunil Rao (31), a collection agent and a resident of JC Nagar; Arun Kumar (40), a telecom executive and brother-in-law of Sunil; Fayaz (29), a mechanic from RT Nagar; his sister Rizwana (38); Vinay (24), a cab driver and a resident of JP Nagar; and Salma (28), a resident of Kodigehalli, who is a bar dancer and girlfriend of prime accused Suraj Singh.

Arun Kumar, Rizwana and Salma were arrested on charges of harbouring the other accused in the crime, police said.

On October 20, Ganesh, one of the accused, was shot on the leg and arrested by RT Nagar police who had already taken custody of Sudhir Angur, the chancellor of Alliance University, and his associate Suraj Singh. During their interrogation, the police collected the details of the other accused and laid traps for them. The seven were arrested on Thursday.

The police learnt that Suraj Singh, along with Ganesh, Kantharaj, Sunil, Fayaz and Vinay, conducted recce on their bikes and got familiar with Dore’s routine. They planned to attack him on the night of October 15 during his after-dinner walk.

Soon after the murder, the accused took shelter in the houses of Arun Kumar, Rizwana and Salma, police said.

The weapons and the bikes used for the crime are yet to be recovered.

Further interrogation revealed that Suraj Singh was in a relationship with bar dancer Salma. The couple had planned to flee the city and begin a new chapter with the money they would receive for the murder of Dore and that of Madhukar Angur (Sudhir Angur’s brother), police said.

Dore’s wife Pavana thanked the city police for their swift action. The police, in turn, said it was her detailed statements about the accused that helped them to nab them early.