A day after he took charge as Ballari Superintendent of Police, Pavan Nejjur was suspended on Friday, January 2, as the investigation widened into the clash outside BJP MLA G Janardhana Reddy’s residence in which a Congress worker was shot dead. Chief Minister Siddaramaiah ordered an inquiry, saying the bullet that was fired “into the air” had struck and killed 35-year-old Rajashekhar Reddy. “It must be established from whose revolver the bullet was fired,” he said.
The violence broke out on Thursday night, January 1, when supporters of Janardhana Reddy objected to banners being put up for the January 3 installation event of a Maharishi Valmiki statue. What began as an argument on the narrow road leading to the MLA’s house quickly escalated, first to shoving and shouting, then to stone-throwing, and eventually to gunfire. Police said they used lathicharge and tear gas to push back the crowd.
By the time the chaos subsided, Rajashekhar Reddy, a Congress worker and supporter of MLA Nara Bharat Reddy, had collapsed with a gunshot wound. He died soon after.
ADGP (Law and Order) R Hitendra’s report to the government said SP Nejjur failed to contain the situation and had not briefed senior officers as the violence unfolded. Hitendra said that five private guns had been seized from both sides and that CCTV footage from the area had been collected. Home Minister G Parameshwara said preliminary findings suggested the fatal shot did not come from a police weapon. “The FSL team is analysing the evidence,” he added. Four FIRs have been registered in the Brucepet police station, including cases against BJP MLA Janardhana Reddy and former minister B Sriramulu.
According to Deccan Herald, forensic examination has established that a 12 mm bullet recovered from Rajashekhar Reddy’s body was fired from a single-bore weapon. Forensic experts had collected spent bullets and other material from the spot on Thursday night, minutes after the violence. During the post-mortem on Friday, the bullet lodged in the body was compared with the bullets recovered earlier.
The political fallout has been immediate. BJP leaders have accused the Congress government of targeting Janardhana Reddy. State party president BY Vijayendra described the incident as “premeditated” and demanded a judicial probe by a sitting High Court judge. Sriramulu, who has also been booked, alleged there was an attempt on Janardhana Reddy’s life and claimed that a petrol bomb had been hurled. He said all bullet casings should be accounted for and called for an FSL report at the earliest.
A BJP delegation led by opposition leaders R Ashoka and Chalavadi Narayanaswamy met the DGP in Bengaluru, seeking protection for Janardhana Reddy and alleging that Congress workers had provoked the violence.
Congress leaders have denied the allegations. Ballari in-charge minister Zameer Ahmed Khan said the Chief Minister was “deeply unhappy” with the turn of events and assured that action would follow based on evidence alone. MLA Bharat Reddy, who visited the home of the deceased worker, said Rajshekar was “like a brother,” and he would comment only after the final rites.
Prohibitory orders have been imposed in parts of Ballari, and police have deployed additional forces.
With IANS inputs