Bengaluru: Lakshman’s UK-educated girlfriend led him into rival’s trap

Bengaluru: In a new twist to the investigation into the murder of a notorious rowdy sheeter Lakshman (42), his girlfriend has been arrested for allegedly helping the rival gang carry out the crime. Lakshman was hacked to death on Thursday in broad daylight near Iskcon temple by 5-6 heavily armed miscreants in Mahalakshmi Layout police station limits.

Central Crime Branch (CCB) sleuths on Tuesday arrested six people, including Lakshman's girlfriend Varshini (21), who had called him to the venue where he was killed.

The CCB sleuths have also arrested Roopesh (25), Devaraj (24), Varun Kumar (24), Madhu Kumar (24) and Alok (21) for their involvement in the murder.

The Mahalakshmi Layout police had on Saturday arrested a notorious rowdy sheeter Raj alias Cat Raj in connection with  Lakshman's murder.

Lakshman, a resident of Mariyappana Palya, was a notorious rowdy sheeter and had over 25 cases of murder, attempt to murder, robbery, kidnapping and land grabbing booked against him.

Sources said he was having an affair with Varshini, daughter of a JD(S) leader in Maddur and an MSc in Psychology from London, for the past few years.

Lakshman and Varshini were residing in the same locality and were involved in financial dealings. However he was unaware that Varshini was also the girlfriend of Roopesh, a member of Cat Raj's gang. In fact, she got involved with Lakshman under the instructions of Roopesh.

Cat Raj, who was planning to eliminate Lakshman, approached Varshini and hatched a plan.

According to Lakshman's wife Chaitra N., Varshini made a WhatsApp call to him around 9 am on Thursday, the day he was murdered.

Around 9:30 am, Lakshman called one Naveen and asked when he was sending the car and Naveen had replied it will be sent at 1 pm. Lakshman asked him to wait for his call and send the car to the location he would share with him, Chaitra told the police.

Later, Chaitra received a call at around 12.45 pm from one of her relatives about the murder. Lakshman, who was travelling in a car, was intercepted by the killers and hacked to death using machetes.

The breakthrough happened when Mahalakshmi Layout police got credible information regarding the whereabouts of Cat Raj. However, when they went to arrest him he attacked a police officer and the police had to open fire to prevent his escape.

Cat Raj has over 30 cases of murder, attempt to murder, kidnapping and land grab booked against him.