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The Special Court for MLAs and MPs in Bengaluru on Monday remanded 26 arrested people to judicial custody in connection with the Congress shootout case. Those remanded include Gurucharan Singh, the private gunman of Satish Reddy, an aide of Congress MLA Nara Bharat Reddy, who is facing murder charges in the case.
The accused were brought to Bengaluru from Ballari by the Karnataka Police and produced before the court. The police stated that they may seek custody of the accused again during the course of the investigation, if required. The accused will be shifted to the Bengaluru Central Prison.
Accused Gurucharan Singh wore a mask while entering the court. Among those arrested are 11 BJP workers and 10 Congress workers.
Those in police custody include the private gunmen of Satish Reddy -- Mahendra Singh and Baljit Singh -- both hailing from Punjab; MLA Bharat Reddy’s government gunman Basavaraj; four government gunmen of BJP MLA Janardhana Reddy; and one gunman of B. Sriramulu. In total, nine gunmen are in custody, and the investigation is ongoing.
Meanwhile, another bullet was found on the premises of BJP MLA Janardhana Reddy’s residence by the bomb disposal squad on Monday morning. Police said it was a 9 mm bullet. So far, 10 bullets have been recovered from in and around Janardhana Reddy’s residence, where BJP and Congress workers had clashed over a banner dispute, which culminated in a shootout and the death of a Congress worker.
Police have verified the residence of Gurucharan Singh in Ballari. They have also seized the cartridge of the bullet that was fired at deceased Congress worker Rajashekar, police said.
In the suo motu case registered by the police, Janardhana Reddy has been named as Accused No. 1, while Somashekara Reddy has been named as Accused No. 2 in connection with the violence. Police also stated that piles of sticks were found on the premises of Janardhana Reddy’s residence.
Two reserve police platoons were deployed at the court premises.
It may be recalled that it has been established that Congress worker Rajashekar died after being hit by a bullet fired by Gurucharan Singh during the clash. Following this confirmation, the police initially took him into custody and later formally arrested him.
So far, the police have taken 45 persons into custody for questioning and later arrested a total of 26 persons.
In the aftermath of the Ballari violence, mining baron and BJP MLA Gali Janardhana Reddy has written separate letters to Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, Home Minister G. Parameshwara and Director General of Police Dr M.A. Saleem, seeking 'Z' category security for himself and his family.
In the letters, he also demanded the arrest of MLA Bharat Reddy and Satish Reddy and sought action against police officers for allegedly failing to control the situation. He stated that if security is not provided and any attack occurs on him or his family in the future, the state government should be held responsible.
Karnataka Home Minister G. Parameshwara has indicated that the government is mulling handing over the case to the Criminal Investigation Department (CID).