Former underworld don Muthappa Rai's son shot at in K'taka

Bengaluru, April 19 (IANS) Ricky Rai, son of the late underworld don Muthappa Rai, was shot at by unidentified assailants outside his farmhouse in Bidadi on the outskirts of Bengaluru.

Ricky has been admitted to Manipal Hospital in Bengaluru, and sources said that he narrowly escaped death.

The Bidadi Police have registered an FIR against four individuals, including Muthappa Rai's second wife Anuradha.

The complaint was filed by Ricky's driver Basavaraj.

According to police reports, the bullets were fired while Ricky was travelling in his car. Basavaraj was driving, and Ricky reportedly managed to bend down just as the bullets were fired, narrowly avoiding fatal injuries.

Sources indicate that he sustained injuries to his nose and hand.

Ricky was seriously injured in the attack. He was initially taken to a private hospital in Bidadi and later shifted to Bengaluru for further treatment.

Preliminary investigations suggest that two attempts were made on Ricky's life. The first round of firing occurred at 11 p.m. on Friday. Upon hearing the gunshot, Basavaraj got out of the vehicle to check. Later, when the two were heading toward Bengaluru at around 12.50 a.m., the second attack took place.

Police have recovered two bullets from different locations near the farmhouse.

An FIR has been filed against Rakesh Malli, Anuradha, Nitesh Shetty, and Vaidyanathan under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) Sections 109, 3(5), and under the Arms Act. Police are questioning Basavaraj, who claimed he heard a loud gunshot but did not see anything else.

The attack reportedly occurred just as Ricky exited his farmhouse. Police suspect underworld involvement and are also investigating the possibility that the attack was linked to a real estate dispute.

Another angle being probed is whether individuals harbouring resentment toward the late Muthappa Rai orchestrated the shooting. Police are recording statements from family members and staff as part of the investigation.

Initial findings reveal that after Muthappa Rai's death, disputes arose within the family between the children of his first and second wives. The matter even reached the High Court. Before his death, Muthappa Rai drafted a will dividing his property among his two children, his brother's son, his second wife, and some of his workers.

Relatives informed police that multiple individuals hold grudges against Muthappa Rai's family, and property disputes also persist.

Ricky resides at the Bidadi farmhouse and also owns a bungalow in the upscale Sadashivanagar locality in Bengaluru.

Ricky had separated from his first wife while Muthappa Rai was still alive. His second wife, a foreign national, currently lives abroad with their child. Police have also learned that Ricky spent most of his time overseas.

Investigators are looking into the timing and purpose of Ricky's return to Bengaluru, probing whether he came to settle any of the ongoing disputes.

Interestingly, the attackers targeted the driver's seat, possibly assuming that Ricky was driving the vehicle himself, as he often does.

Ramanagara SP Srinivas Gowda visited the crime scene, and the investigation is currently underway.

--IANS

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