Bengaluru: A prison fight that festered for six years erupted in bloodshed on a Banashankari street early Saturday, leaving a 27-year-old ex-convict with a severe head injury after his rival smashed him with a stone.The injured man, Sridhar, also known as Sakkare, resides in Janshakthinagar, Hosakerehalli, in Banashankari III Stage, south Bengaluru. He was attacked by Dhanush, also known as Dadiya, his associate Kantharaj, and another accomplice.Sridhar informed police the assault stemmed from an old enmity with Dhanush. Their conflict began while they were both incarcerated at Central Prison, related to an attempted murder case in 2019. At that time, the two had a dispute over a trivial matter, leading prison staff to confine them together in a command room as punishment. Sridhar said he and Dhanush each paid Rs 10,000 as bribe to prison officials for release from the command room and return to regular barracks. Although this incident seemed to conclude their conflict, lingering resentment remained.Dhanush was waiting for a chance to take revenge on Sridhar, who had been sent to his native village in Mandya district by his mother and elder sister after his release from prison. Because he was not in regular employment, Sridhar stayed at his mother’s parental home. He had recently moved back to Bengaluru but was living away from his mother and sister. Sridhar met his family in Janshakthinagar after his sister had given birth to a baby girl. On Dec 13, around 1.45am, he left his mother’s house to smoke a cigarette near a public drinking water unit.At that moment, Dhanush spotted him and began to verbally abuse him. Angered that he had to bribe prison officials because of their altercation in jail, Dhanush sought to teach Sridhar a lesson. Along with two friends, he initially physically assaulted Sridhar, pushing him to the ground. Dhanush then picked up a large stone and struck Sridhar’s head with it. His friends also hurled insults and kicked him repeatedly. Despite profuse bleeding, Sridhar managed to escape, and his family members took him to a hospital for treatment.Girinagar police have registered a case under Section 109 (attempted murder) of BNS based on Sridhar’s complaint. They have detained several suspects and are currently questioning them.
