Karnataka: Double murder shines light on politically sponsored sports tournaments

Trimurthy

The brutal murder of two young men at Doddabelavangala, 54 km northwest of Bengaluru, has shone light on sports tournaments sponsored by politicians.

Bharath Kumar (23), an engineering graduate working for a private firm, and Prateek N (17), a PUC student, were fatally stabbed by a five-member gang during violence that erupted after a fight over car parking around 3.10 pm on February 17.

Vinay, 27, the son of a former president of Hulikunte gram panchayat, his younger brother Anil, and three others had tried to drive into the Karnataka Public School playground where the sports tournament was being played. Organisers and participants asked them not to park there.

An argument ensued, and the crowd at the ground smashed the car and forced the group to leave.

The brothers and their three friends, Trimurthy, Kori and Deepu, later got into a fight with local residents — Channappa, Kitty, Chikka Ramaiah and Nagaraju — who gave them an earful for causing disturbance. The group attacked them with pepper spray. They also pulled out cricket bats, wickets, hockey sticks, daggers and rods, and went on a rampage.

They attacked Kumar and Prateek, assuming that they were also part of the crowd as they wore T-shirts provided by the tournament organisers. Prateek was stabbed with a dagger that remained stuck in his private parts while Kumar was knifed in the lower abdomen.

Superintendent of Police Mallikarjun Baldandi, Bengaluru Rural, said that the murders were "spontaneous" but they were investigating whether or not the victims were part of the crowd that had smashed the car.

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On Sunday, police shot Vinay and Trimurthy in the right leg after they allegedly tried to attack constables Qarar Hussain and Sunil Basagi with a knife and stones. Anil, Kori and Deepu remain at large.

The tournament was sponsored by Dheeraj, a local BJP leader who aspires to contest the Assembly election from Doddaballapur.

Following the murders, police have banned all sports tournaments sponsored by politicians until the elections get over.

Vinay and Anil's mother Parvathamma was the president of Hulikunte gram panchayat. She was an independent but received support from the Congress party.

Doddaballapur's Congress MLA, T Venkataramanaiah, said that the tournament's organisers hadn't taken permission from the school principal or the police.

"They submitted a written request to the police, who acknowledged the letter but didn't give permission," he told DH.

"Had the organisers taken police permission, the cops would have provided security at the school ground and averted the fight over parking. These unfortunate murders over parking wouldn't have occurred."