Victim B Manjunath
Police investigations revealed that they had not paid the rent for three months. Deputy commissioner of police (Whitefield) Saiduly Adavat said cops launched a manhunt for the suspects, who allegedly fled on separate motorcycles.
Muniraju, the advocate had reprimanded the tenants over the pending rent Sunday night, according to a complaint lodged by Manjunath’s brother. Another senior police officer said investigators had leads on their whereabouts and were probing how they got the firearm. Police will investigate where the weapon was purchased and whether the suspects’ associates or relatives possess other illegal firearms, he said. Condemning Manjunath’s killing, Advocates Association Bengaluru president Subba Reddy said representatives of the organisation met police commissioner Seemanth Kumar Singh and sought a speedy investigation. The association also discussed the need for guidelines for private firms hiring workers from other states and for house owners providing accommodation to them, he said.
The suspects, identified as Pankaj Dube and Amit Kumar Dube – both from Bihar – had been living in a small room behind the house of the victim, B Manjunath, for around one and a half years. The incident is suspected to have triggered the murder. The officer expressed concern over the alleged use of an illegal pistol for the killing. The murder comes a week after a realtor allegedly shot and injured his former car driver near Konanakunte over a business dispute. The realtor had fired a round into the driver’s leg using his licensed revolver. Police arrested the realtor and seized the weapon. The driver is recovering in hospital.
Manjunath was rushed to hospital, where the doctors declared him dead after attempts to revive him failed. He is survived by his wife and two minor children. His family has four siblings, and its ancestral properties include extensive landholdings and buildings.