A former gram panchayat president was shot lifeless in Karnataka’s Vijayapura district by 4 males whereas getting a haircut in a salon on Wednesday, the police mentioned, including that the assailants threw chilli powder in his and his associates’ eyes earlier than firing 4 photographs at point-blank vary and fled.
The deceased, Bheemanagouda Biradar, 40, had served because the gram panchayat president of his native Devar Nimbargi village in Chadchan taluk.
“Biradar was additionally a rowdy-sheeter with a number of homicide circumstances pending towards him,” mentioned Laxman B Nimbargi, Superintendent of Police, Vijaypura.
The police mentioned that following the homicide, which occurred at round 8.50 am, 4 males—recognized as Wasim Maniyar, Razivulla Makanadar, Moulasab Borgi, and Firoz Sheikh—surrendered and confessed to the crime. All belonging to the identical village, they had been subsequently arrested on homicide fees.
In keeping with the police, one of many accused had paid Rs 1 lakh to Biradar, who had assured him of a home underneath the federal government’s Ashraya housing scheme. Nevertheless, the accused didn’t get a home or the cash he had paid.
Biradar’s spouse Rajeshri Biradar mentioned that her husband had been murdered to avenge his position within the imprisonment in 2023 of Zakir Maniyar, a political rival and the brother of Wasim Maniyar. Zakir was jailed for allegedly making casteist remarks towards a village panchayat improvement officer, with Biradar reportedly being instrumental in his arrest and prosecution.
Including one other dimension to the homicide, Biradar had maintained management over the Devar Nimbargi gram panchayat for the previous 10 years. With elections approaching, he was mentioned to be manoeuvring to put in a loyal follower as the subsequent president.
The Chadchan police are investigating the homicide additional.