A local functionary of the BJP’s youth wing was murdered by a gang in a suspected case of enmity on Wednesday, police said. The incident occurred in the early hours of Wednesday, in front of Lilavati Hospital on Koppal Road, Gangavati city, when Venkatesh Kurubar, a 31-year-old Gangavathi BJP Yuva Morcha president, was returning on a two-wheeler from Devi Nagar towards the APMC area via Julai Nagar with a friend, after visiting one of his friends.A group of five or six assailants, who followed Venkatesh, arrived in a car and intercepted his vehicle. They attacked him with machetes and quickly fled the scene after murdering him. His friend, Ramu, managed to escape from the spot. The car used in the attack was later found abandoned in HRS Colony. “All my friends went out for dinner together. On our way back, assailants came with lethal weapons and attacked us. They threatened us and chased us away,” Ramu said.Venkatesh was rushed to a hospital, where he succumbed to his injuries, during the course of treatment.Venkatesh’s father, Hampanna, filed a complaint naming one Ravi as the main suspect. DSP Siddanagouda Patil, who inspected the spot, stated that Venkatesh and Ravi were engaged in a personal rivalry since 2003, stemming from a police case. Following the incident, Ravi and his associates went into hiding. However, within hours of the incident, police arrested Dhananjay, Salim, Bheem, and Vijay in connection with Venkatesh’s murder. The accused were arrested in Kampli, Ballari district, and are being interrogated. tnn
