Man with criminal past hacked to death near IG Circle in JP Nagar

A man with a criminal background was chased and hacked to death by three armed attackers near IG Circle in JP Nagar, Bengaluru, on Sunday evening. The victim, identified as Raja alias Halmuk Raja, was assaulted in broad daylight on a busy road and later succumbed to his injuries at a private hospital.

According to the JP Nagar police, the attackers arrived in a car carrying a commercial number plate and intercepted Raja on the road. When Raja tried to flee, the three men chased him down and repeatedly attacked him with machetes.

The entire incident was captured on CCTV. The footage shows Raja running to escape before being caught by his assailants. Even after he collapsed on the road, the attackers continued to strike him before fleeing the scene in the same vehicle.

The attack took place in full public view on a busy street. Frightened bystanders and motorists did not intervene, with several people running away from the spot and drivers passing by without stopping.

Raja was rushed to a private hospital in critical condition, where he later died. The JP Nagar police secured the area and launched an investigation to track down the suspects.

Investigators suspect the murder may be a revenge killing linked to a decade-old gang rivalry. Raja had several criminal cases registered against him, including murder, attempt to murder, and robbery.

The police are probing whether the attack was retaliation for the murder of "Stand Kutti" alias Kutti, a notorious Banashankari criminal. Raja was an accused in Kutti's murder nearly ten years ago.

Additionally, police sources noted that Raja had previously been imprisoned in Parappana Agrahara Central Prison alongside Ballari Shivu. He was also allegedly associated with South Bengaluru criminal Arasayya's syndicate and had been linked to a double murder case in Subramanyapura involving outlaws from Channapatna.