The police had to open fire to arrest an accused in the murder of Ayyappa R. Dore, the former vice-chancellor of Alliance University who was hacked to death outside his house in R.T. Nagar on the night of October 15. The accused, Ganesh, 37, is a habitual offender from Munireddypalya and allegedly played a key role in the murder.
“When we tracked him down to the Karnataka State Seeds Corporation Limited godown in Sanjay Nagar where he was hiding, he attacked two police personnel in an attempt to escape,” said a senior police official.
Ganesh is a close associate of Suraj Singh, an employee of Alliance University who was hired by Chancellor Sudhir Angur to murder not just Ayyappa but also his brother and varsity co-founder Madhukar Angur. Suraj and Sudhir were arrested less than 24 hours after the murder.
According to the police, Ganesh owns a tyre puncture repair shop in Byatarayanapura. He was assured a sum of ₹20 lakh and a permanent job as a driver in Alliance University.
“He was one of the four men who accompanied Suraj to murder Ayyappa. He is named in criminal cases in Kodigehalli and Yelahanka police station limits,” said Shashi Kumar, DCP (North division).
His name cropped up while the police were questioning Suraj. A team led by R.T. Nagar Inspector Mithun Shilpi tracked him to the godown early Sunday morning. The team surrounded the premises and asked Ganesh to surrender.
“But he attacked PSI Yallamma and Constable Mallikarjuna. Inspector Shilpi fired a warning shot in the air, which he refused to heed. He then shot Ganesh on his left leg,” said a senior police official.
The injured policemen and Ganesh were taken to Victoria hospital for treatment.
“Ganesh was also responsible for arranging weapons. After attacking Ayyappa with lethal weapons, he stabbed him one last time to ensure that the job was done,” a senior police officer said.
The probe so far has revealed that Ganesh, along with Suraj and others, stalked Ayyappa and Madhukar for three months. According to the police, the other persons involved in the crime are on the run.
“Efforts are on to track them down,” Shashi Kumar said.
