A team of 35 policemen raided the house of underworld don-turned-writer and social activist Agni Sridhar on Tuesday.
Police said that they had received a tip-off that two men, who planned and attempted to kill APMC (Agricultural Produce Market Committee) President Kadabagere Srinivas Murthy, were hiding in Sridhar’s home, located in Kumaraswamy Layout.
In the wee hours of Tuesday, police began the crackdown on Sridhar’s home. However, they did not find the suspects at Sridhar’s residence, police added.
The police also raided Agni Sridhar’s associate, Syed Ahamadullah alias Bachchan’s home in ISRO Layout.
The police recovered live bullets, four unlicensed revolvers, knives, machetes, marijuana, Rs 6 lakh cash and around 400 g of gold after a day-long search.
Seven men were arrested including Sridhar. He was taken to a private hospital in the city after he complained of chest pain while being questioned, police said.
“The APMC President, who was shot, has an associate named Tata Ramesh. Ramesh had lodged a complaint with the police on Saturdayclaiming that Sunil alias Silent Sunil and KS Rothith, alias Onte Rohith had threatened his life multiple times. The duo was arrested on Monday,” Yelahanka police said.
Upon questioning the accused, they indicated that Agni Sridhar was harbouring Srinivas Murthy’s shooters.
The arrested accused, who are Sridhar’s associates include Syed Ahamaddulla alias Bachchan, a resident of ISRO Layout and Sridhar’s right hand man, Braj Bhushan Hussain Pande, Sabir Bhagelu and Ramkumar Ray from Uttar Pradesh, Arun Kumar from Ramanagara, Tanvir Jabbar from Cauverynagar, and Varun Kumar from Kumaraswamy Layout.
“Sridhar’s right hand man said that Sabir and Ramkumar were bodyguards but they are not employees of any private security firm and the weapons were not licenced. They have been booked under Private Security Regulation Authority Act,” police said.
Agni Sridhar was known as an underworld don in Bengaluru during the 1970s and 1980s. He later claimed that he had relinquished his illegal activities and had become the editor of the Kannada tabloid Agni. Gradually, Sridhar began associating with activists and was speaking up against corruption and illegal mining. He has supported the farmers’ cause several times.