A 44-year-old man with a history of criminal cases was brutally murdered near Halasuru Lake on Tuesday night in a suspected land dispute-related attack that has now taken a political turn. The victim, identified as Shiva Prakash, also known as Bikkalu Shiva, was a resident of Meanee Avenue Road in Hermit Colony, Sivanchetti Gardens.
Police said he was attacked with sharp weapons by a group of unidentified men around 8:10 PM. He died on the spot due to multiple grievous injuries, as per a report on Times of India.
Land Dispute Suspected
In a development, Shiva’s mother, Vijayalakshmi, who witnessed the killing, lodged a police complaint naming several individuals, including K.R. Pura MLA and former minister Byrathi Basavaraj, as being involved in the conspiracy. Basavaraj has been listed as Accused No. 5 in the FIR registered at Bharathi Nagar police station, along with others, reported India Today.
The FIR alleges the murder was the result of a dispute over a parcel of land in Kithagnur, East Bengaluru. According to Vijayalakshmi, Shiva had purchased the land in 2023 and was also the General Power of Attorney holder. She claimed her son had faced repeated threats from the accused in an attempt to forcibly take over the land.
Adding weight to her allegations, police sources confirmed that Shiva had submitted a written complaint to the Bengaluru Police Commissioner three months ago, accusing Basavaraj and his associates of intimidation.
Vijayalakshmi told police that she saw 8–10 men attacking her son and that when a friend tried to intervene, he was also assaulted. The attackers fled in a white SUV and on motorbikes. She asserted she could identify the assailants if presented with photographs.
Shiva’s body has been sent for a post-mortem examination. Investigators are analyzing CCTV footage and questioning suspects.
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