Identifying the deceased as Praveen, a 27-year-old milk vendor of Vyalikaval, police said that the gang had also attacked his friend Santosh, who was hospitalised with serious injuries.
A gang of four men chased a youth for about a kilometre before hacking him to death at Hennur late on Saturday night, police said. Identifying the deceased as Praveen, a 27-year-old milk vendor of Vyalikaval, police said that the gang had also attacked his friend Santosh, who was hospitalised with serious injuries.
The two men were returning home after attending their friend’s wedding reception at Lakshmi Venkateswara Kalyana Mantapa in HRBR Layout near Hennur Cross Road, when the gang attacked them around 11.30 pm.
Police suspect that the attack was the latest in a series of gang wars, which had claimed two lives in March and May this year. Praveen’s brother Srinivas, who had also attended the reception, expressed suspicions that the murder was a planned one, particularly as the power in the hall went off around 11.30.
Srinivas said Praveen and Santosh left the hall, which hosted their friend Navin Kumar’s wedding reception, soon after the power connection was snapped. On the way back, they stopped their two-wheeler about 50 metres away from the hall since Santosh wanted to buy cigarettes. “The gang, which was following them in a Tata Sumo, stopped at a distance,” he said.
The gang, armed with swords and machetes, rushed towards the friends, who were about to leave after buying cigarettes. Praveen initially tried to start the bike, but abandoned it and started running, with Santosh following him. However, the gang caught up and attacked them a kilometre away.
Praveen died on the way to Dr Ambedkar Hospital, police said. Santosh was initially rushed to Nimhans with serious head injuries, but was later taken to Victoria Hospital
and then to the Mallige Hospital in Siddapura.
“The moment the gang escaped after hacking my brother, the electricity connection in the hall was restored. We feel that this was planned by someone. Praveen was not involved in any disruptive activities, but he used to mix with some anti-social elements in the area. A rival gang has murdered him,” said Srinivas. Inspector Hanumantharaya, Hennur, said that the police have identified the accused and are searching for them.
“They were all part of a gang in Malleswaram, but started fighting with each other after a split two years ago. We suspect that Praveen and Santosh were involved in an attempted murder on Friday. The person, who was assaulted on Friday, belonged to the rival gang that attacked the duo on Saturday. No cases were registered against Praveen in the city. He became a target of the rival gang since he used to move around with local rowdies,’’ the officer said.
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