Bengaluru: Money given by history-sheeter Lakshmana was used to pay his killers

BENGALURU:  The CCB police have arrested six people, including a woman, in connection with the murder of history-sheeter Lakshmana. On Tuesday, the police opened fire at another accused after he attacked cops, and nabbed him. The accused are Rupesh R (25), a resident of Rajarajeshwari Nagar; Varshini (21), a resident of Mariyappanapalya near Jnanabharathi; Devaraja alias Kariya (24) of Nagarabavi; Varun Kumar (24) of Mudalapalya; Madhukumar (21) of Magadi Road; and Alok (24) of Maddur. Varshini is studying MS in psychology at University of Cambridge in London, and is said to be Rupesh’s girlfriend.

Another accused in the case, Hemanth Kumar alias Hemi, was shot at and nabbed by the police near Nagarabavi around 5.30 pm on Tuesday, after he attacked the policemen and tried to escape. Hemanth Kumar is allegedly involved in the murder cases of notorious rowdies Jadeja Ravi in Mandya and Ambode in Maddur. 

“Prima facie, it appears to be a murder for revenge, and Rupesh and Varshini planned it,” Alok Kumar, Additional Commissioner of Police (Crime), said. Sources said Lakshmana had transferred `1 lakh to Varshini’s bank account, as she had told him that she would be coming to meet him. She transferred the same amount to Rupesh to pay the advance to the killers.  

“At least eight people are involved in the murder and Hemanth Kumar is a supari killer. It is doubtful that they would have agreed to murder a rowdy like Lakshmana for just `1 lakh. We suspect that there are more angles to the murder,” a senior police officer said. Investigations have revealed that while Rupesh believed that Varshini was in love with him, she was close to Lakshmana too. “Both have exchanged flirtatious messages and even their call recordings reveal that they were very close,” a source said.