Ex-VC Dore’s murder: 6 more arrested

Bengaluru: Six more people, including two women, were arrested by the R.T. Nagar police in connection with the sensational murder of Dr Iyyappa Dore, a former vice-chancellor, of Alliance University. With this, the total number of arrests in the case has gone up to 10. The arrested are Kantharaju alias Katappa (28), a resident of Jayamahal and a drummer, Sunil Rao alias Appu (31), a resident of J.C. Nagar who worked as a cheque collector, Fayaz (29), a resident of R.T. Nagar and a mechanic, and Vinay (24), a cab driver from R.T. Nagar.

The accused were directly involved in the murder. Arun Kumar (40), the brother-in-law of the accused Sunil Rao, Rizwana (38), sister of accused Fayaz, and Salma (28), a bar dancer and girlfriend of Suraj Singh, were arrested under the IPC Section 212 on charges of harbouring and aiding the accused.

The main accused, Suraj Singh, was contacted by Alliance University chancellor Sudheer Angoor to finish off Dr Dore, who was extending legal and other help to his Sudheer’s family member turned foe Madhukar Angoor.

Madhukar had won the case in the court for the control of the university and was all set to take charge of the university, where about 6,000 students study. But Sudheer wanted to continue at the helm of the university.

Sudheer allegedly promised Suraj “whatever he wanted” if he got Dr Dore killed. Suraj then formed a team and promised all the gang members Rs 20 lakh each and a permanent job at the university.

The team carefully studied the movements of Dr Dore for over two months and hacked him to death near his house when he went out for a stroll after dinner.

Before the crime was committed, Suraj had told his girlfriend Salma that he would get a large amount of money for killing Dr Dore, and they could go abroad and settle down with that money. Salma knew about the murder beforehand, but remained tight-lipped. Also, she refused to reveal the whereabouts of the accused when questioned, the police said.

Rizwana, whose house was chosen for sheltering the assailants, allegedly misled the police and protected the accused. The weapons used in the murder too were kept at her house, sources said.

Dr Pavana Dore, wife of the deceased, thanked North DCP Shashikumar for making the arrests in a short period. “Even before the funeral was conducted, the police made arrests. I thank the cops. When a person is killed, his family also dies and that was what happened to us,” she said.

The cops had arrested Sudheer Angoor, chancellor of Allinace University, and Suraj within 24 hours of the murder.

She said that the accused got the courage as a well-known person was behind the case.