Rowdy sheeter Venkatesh Murthy hacked to death over SUV dispute in Kanakapura

A 47-year-old rowdy sheeter, Venkatesh Murthy, was chased and hacked to death by a group of 10 to 12 assailants at his farmhouse on Shivaladappana Betta Road in Uyyamballi, Kanakapura, around 4:45 p.m. on Sunday. The fatal attack stemmed from an ongoing dispute over a sports utility vehicle (SUV). Murthy was a resident of Arekere in MICO Layout.

Murthy had been running a water supply business at BTS Layout in Arekere for the past five years. Both Murthy and one of the primary suspects, identified as Ambarish alias Rebel, have rowdy sheets registered against them at the Hulimavu police station.

According to police reports, Murthy had gone to his farm to relax at around 1:00 p.m. on Sunday. He was accompanied by his associates Moni, Nandish, Puneeth, and his driver Balaji.

At around 4:45 p.m., the group of assailants arrived at the farmhouse in two four-wheelers. The attackers, who included Ambarish and another suspect named Basava, were armed with machetes and other lethal weapons.

Investigating officers stated that Murthy and Ambarish were former friends who had developed sharp differences over an SUV belonging to a friend of Ambarish. A close associate of Murthy had forcibly taken the SUV, leading to an active dispute between Murthy and Ambarish over the past 15 to 20 days, during which the duo had repeatedly quarrelled.

When the armed group charged into the property, Murthy jumped the fence of his farmhouse and tried to flee. However, the assailants chased him down, overpowered him, pulled him near a storm water drain, and hacked him to death.

Following the incident, driver Balaji phoned Murthy’s 38-year-old wife, Puneetha, at 4:50 p.m. to inform her about the murder. Puneetha subsequently filed a police complaint.

The Sathanur police have registered a case of murder along with other sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). Police confirmed that all the accused fled the scene and are currently absconding, with law enforcement teams searching for them.