A former president of the Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BJYM) was brutally murdered early Wednesday in Gangavati taluk of Koppal district, allegedly over an old personal rivalry, police said.
The victim, Venkatesh Kurubara, 34, a resident of Devinagar, was attacked around 2 a.m. near a private hospital on Koppal Road. According to investigators, a group of six men arrived in a car, rammed his motorcycle, and then assaulted him with machetes and iron rods. Venkatesh died on the spot from multiple injuries.
Police said Venkatesh was returning home after dinner with friends when the assailants intercepted him. One of his companions, Ramu, told reporters, “We were on our way home when suddenly a group of men appeared with weapons and attacked us. They chased us away when we tried to intervene.”
A Tata Indica allegedly used in the crime was later found abandoned in Gangavati’s HRS Colony after a tyre burst. Weapons were recovered from the vehicle, and forensic teams, including fingerprint and dog squads, were deployed at the scene.
Koppal Superintendent of Police Dr. Ram L. Arasiddhi said that four of the six suspects have been arrested. “There was long-standing hostility between Venkatesh and Ravi from Lingaraj Camp, dating back to 2023. During his tenure as Yuva Morcha president, Venkatesh had helped police in arresting some local offenders, including Ravi’s associates. This enmity appears to have led to the killing,” Arasiddhi said.
Those arrested have been identified as Bhima Bharath (23), Salim (21), Vijay (25), and Dhanraj Rao (24). Police are searching for the remaining suspects.
One of Venkatesh’s friends, Prajwal, sustained injuries in the assault and is being treated at a local hospital. Karnataka BJP president B.Y. Vijayendra expressed shock over the killing. “The news of Venkatesh’s death is heartbreaking. He was a committed worker and former Yuva Morcha president of Gangavati. My condolences to his family,” he said in a statement as reported by the Hindustan Times
Police have registered a case under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) at Gangavati Town Police Station based on a complaint filed by the victim’s father.
