4 arrested in JD(S) leader’s murder case

Mandya police on Monday arrested four people in connection with the murder of JD(S) leader Thoppanahalli Prakash (48), husband of former ZP president Lalitha.

Superintendent of Police Shivaprakash Devaraj told reporters here that Maddur Police arrested Prasanna, Swamy, Muttesh and Yogesh and produced them before the court on Thursday. Following the murder, the SP had formed three teams, led by DySP Shylendra Kumar. The teams picked up three accused from Kadapa in Andhra Pradesh and arrested Swamy in Mandya. The SP said that another three accused are absconding and they will be arrested soon.

Of the four accused, three were involved in a double murder case that was reported in 2016, while Yogesh has been charged in the JD(S) leader's murder. According to the SP, a group clash that was reported in Thoppanahalli recently, is the reason behind the murder of Prakash. “We are investigating to see if there was any political enmity behind the murder,” the SP said.

The SP said that the police have extended security to a few people who had complained of a threat to their lives.