Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLA and former Minister Byrathi Basavaraj has been named as an accused in the murder of rowdy sheeter Shivakumar alias Biklu Shivu, who was attacked outside his home near Halasuru Lake in Bengaluru on Tuesday, July 15.
According to police, Shivakumar was assaulted by a group of eight to nine unidentified individuals armed with iron rods and machetes around 8.10 pm. The assailants, who arrived in a white SUV and two-wheelers, attacked the victim and fled the scene. Shivakumar was declared dead shortly.
Joint Commissioner of Police Ramesh Banoth and Deputy Commissioner of Police D Devaraj visited the crime spot. Police said Shivakumar had 11 criminal cases against him and had a rowdy sheet since 2006.
A case has been registered at the Bharathinagar Police Station based on a complaint from the victim's mother, Vijayalakshmi. The FIR names Byrathi Basavaraj, the legislator of Krishnarajapuram, as the fifth accused, along with his aide Jagadish, nephew Kiran, and others. The complaint alleges the attack stemmed from a property dispute.
According to the FIR, Shivakumar had acquired land in Kithagnur in 2023 and appointed two women as caretakers. On February 11, the caretakers were allegedly evicted by Jagadish and Kiran. They also allegedly issued threats demanding the property be transferred to Jagadish’s name.
Vijayalakshmi stated that her son had received repeated threats over the property and had filed complaints with the police naming Jagadish, Kiran, and Byrathi Basavaraj.
In a letter written to the Bengaluru Police Commissioner three months ago, Shivakumar alleged that the accused were attempting to illegally acquire his property and using political influence to pressure him.
On the day of the incident, Shivakumar reportedly questioned his driver about the keys to his SUV and later stepped outside. According to the complaint, Vijayalakshmi saw him speaking with driver Imran Khan and another individual named Lokesh. Shortly afterward, a group of men attacked Shivakumar. Imran Khan was also assaulted when he attempted to intervene. Lokesh is said to have recorded the incident.
Police have registered a case of murder and are investigating the allegations and identifying the attackers. No arrests have been announced so far.