Bengaluru gangster Lakshmana brutally murdered in broad daylight

The Silicon Valley of India witnessed another gruesome murder of a gangster on Thursday. In what seems to be a gang war, one of the richest gangsters in Bengaluru, Lakshmana, was brutally murdered in broad daylight.

The 42-year-old, who was worth more than Rs 600 crore, was hacked to death by his rivals near ISKCON temple at Mahalakshmi Layout in Yeshwantpur. The attack took place when the gangster was out on bail two weeks ago and was returning home after meeting some friends.

Lakshmana was driving the car when the gang ambushed him near Mysore Sandal Soap factory around 12.45 pm. The gang chased him and attacked by throwing chilli powder at his face and dragged him out of the SUV before hacking him to death using lethal weapons in front of the busy crowd.

The Mahalakshmi Layout police rushed to the crime scene and shifted Lakshamana to MS Ramaiah Memorial Hospital at New BEL Road at around 1.10 pm. He was declared brought dead. The police suspect old gang rivalry behind the murder and have obtained surveillance footage from nearby apartments and have formed a team to nab the criminals behind the murder.

Lakshmana was arrested by the police after receiving a complaint that the rowdy had illegally occupied a house in Jagajyothi Layout in Jnanabharathi for two years and was refusing to vacate. He was released nearly two weeks ago.

The Rama-Lakshmana of Bengaluru underworld

The fugitive brothers Rama and Lakshmana, hailing from Huliyurdurga village in Kunigal taluk of Tumakuru district, was a headache to the city police. Dealing in illegal real estate and transactions and often shifting their base between their native and Kamakshipalaya in Bengaluru, they had built an empire of terror with an army of dreaded henchmen.

Involved in over 30 cases including murder, attempt-to-murder and extortion, the Rama-Lakshamana duo had entered the crime scene during the late 1990s focusing especially in the field of land grabbing and violence and shot to infamy after the murder of a rival gangster Macha Manja in 2005. Police had opened rowdy sheets against Lakshmana in Kengeri, Jnanabharathi, Kamakshipalya, Rajarajeshwari Nagar and Sampigehalli police stations, reported TOI.

The duo had pledged their loyalties to the crime syndicates and underworld dons which helped them with connections. They had distanced themselves from the crime world for a while now, as they had developed an interest in politics. They also made settlement pacts with their rivals, but all in vain as some crimes are never forgotten, not by your enemies.