Accused in Karnataka double murder case arrested after police open fire, injure them

The men have been accused of killing a 23-year-old engineering graduate and a pre-university student on Friday.

The police identified the accused as Vinay, 25, and Trimurty, 24, residents of Hulikunte village. (Representational)

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Two accused in a double murder case were arrested on the outskirts of Doddaballapura town in Karnataka on Sunday after a police team opened fire, injuring them, officials said. The police team allegedly shot at the accused in self-defence after they assaulted two police officials and attempted to escape, officials added.

The police identified the accused as Vinay, 25, and Trimurty, 24, residents of Hulikunte village. The accused allegedly killed Bharath Kumar, a 23-year-old engineering graduate, and Prateek, a pre-university student, near Doddaballapura’s Doddabelavangala village on Friday after a fight at a college ground during a cricket tournament.

A police official said that with Assembly elections around the corner, various gangs in the Doddaballapura region were throwing their weight around to show off their political clout. Vinay, the official said, is the son of the former president of Doddabelavangala Gram Panchayat and is active in political activities.

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On Friday, Vinay allegedly parked on the cricket ground when the tournament was underway. The organisers objected, and in the ensuing melee, Vinay’s car was damaged. Though the groups approached the local police station, they left within 10 minutes saying they would arrive at a compromise. Later, Vinay and his gang allegedly saw Bharath and Prateek wearing cricket tournament T-shirts and stabbed them to death. It is still unclear whether Bharath and Prateek were at the cricket ground when the fight broke out, the official added.

Following Bharat and Prateek’s murders, people staged protests in Doddabelavangala, demanding action against the accused.

On Sunday morning, the police received information about Vinay and Trimurty meeting their friend at the outskirts of Doddaballapura town, allegedly to collect some cash and leave the state. Doddaballapura Police Inspector Harish Kumar and Doddabelavangala Police Inspector Harish MR reached the spot to arrest them.

According to the police, the accused assaulted police personnel Karar Hussain and Sunil Basagi and tried to run. Allegedly in self-defence, the police opened fire at their legs and arrested them later. They were shifted to a nearby hospital and were admitted for treatment, the police said.

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