The Sanjaynagar police foiled a plot to assassinate two key witnesses in a murder case. While they arrested one of the suspects, Mahesh, his associate Ram managed to escape and is on the run.
The duo were planning to murder the witnesses who were to testify in the murder of Althar Tejappashetty Babu, an anti-liquor lobby activist and convenor of the National Alliance of People’s Movement, Karnataka.
In July 2008, Mr. Babu had been hacked to death by eight men in broad daylight at Ramanagar on the Bengaluru-Mysuru highway.
According to the police, Ram and Mahesh decided to eliminate witnesses Prabhu Shetty and Devika Shetty before a court hearing on October 17. Ram — who goes by the moniker Poison Ram — had allegedly threatened the witnesses and asked them not to go to court. “But they refused to get intimidated,” said the police.
Investigators said they were able to nab the duo based on a credible tip-off. When the police raided their house, they were able to arrest Mahesh, but Ram escaped.
