<p class="title">Tumakuru Superintendent of Police Divya Gopinath said that police had arrested nine suspects in connection with the gruesome murder of Tumakuru Mahanagara Palike member Ravi Kumar and are on the lookout for the other accused. </p>.<p class="bodytext">It may be recalled that <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/state/former-tumakuru-mayor-hacked-695399.html" target="_blank">Ravi Kumar was hacked to death</a> in public on Sunday, September 30. The murder occurred before several eye-witnesses.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Addressing the media on Monday, the SP said the main accused Sujay Bhargav, Karunada Sene district unit president, Raghu, Rajesh, Naveen, K L Devaraju, Raghu, Jomon V George, Jagadish Hagi and V N Mahesh were arrested so far. </p>.<p class="bodytext"><span class="bold"><strong>How it happened</strong></span></p>.<p class="bodytext">The SP said that eight accused arrived in a minivan to where victim Ravi Kumar was having tea (a roadside stall).</p>.<p class="bodytext">First, the driver got down and went into the stall and asked for a cigarette. He then threw chilli powder into Ravi Kumar's eyes. </p>.<p class="bodytext">At that moment, the others in the van barged into the stall and hacked the corporator to death. Then, they abandoned near the van near Hanumanthapura and escaped in another car. </p>.<p class="bodytext">Among the eight assailants, seven were already arrested. It is learnt that two people were notifying Sujay about Ravi Kumar's movements. "There were many others involved-- who provided the weapons and the car to escape. They will be rounded up soon," the SP added. </p>.<p class="CrossHead">Hired rowdies from Mandya, Bengaluru </p>.<p class="bodytext">The SP added that as Sujay was unable to find enough people for the attack in Tumakuru, he hired Jagadish and Mahesh --rowdy sheeters in Mandya and Raghu, Jomon V George & Rajesh--rowdy sheeters from Bengaluru. </p>.<p class="bodytext">The minivan was rented from a city rental who had no idea that the vehicle was being used for a murder. The special team investigating the murder had 25 police staff the SP added.</p>.<p><strong>Friends became rivals</strong></p>.<p>The SP said that in 2013, victim Ravi Kumar and Sujay were friends. Later they became rivals gradually. Sujay accused Ravi Kumar of neglecting him after the latter became a corporator. </p>.<p>Sujay was earlier booked in an atrocities case. He believed that Ravi Kumar was behind the case filed against him. This feeling made them enemies gradually. </p>.<p>The SP also revealed that Sujay was wanted in nine cases totally, since the 2014 Jayapura Krishna murder. Sujay is also wanted in a twin-murder case of Kengeri, Bengaluru.</p>
<p class="title">Tumakuru Superintendent of Police Divya Gopinath said that police had arrested nine suspects in connection with the gruesome murder of Tumakuru Mahanagara Palike member Ravi Kumar and are on the lookout for the other accused. </p>.<p class="bodytext">It may be recalled that <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/state/former-tumakuru-mayor-hacked-695399.html" target="_blank">Ravi Kumar was hacked to death</a> in public on Sunday, September 30. The murder occurred before several eye-witnesses.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Addressing the media on Monday, the SP said the main accused Sujay Bhargav, Karunada Sene district unit president, Raghu, Rajesh, Naveen, K L Devaraju, Raghu, Jomon V George, Jagadish Hagi and V N Mahesh were arrested so far. </p>.<p class="bodytext"><span class="bold"><strong>How it happened</strong></span></p>.<p class="bodytext">The SP said that eight accused arrived in a minivan to where victim Ravi Kumar was having tea (a roadside stall).</p>.<p class="bodytext">First, the driver got down and went into the stall and asked for a cigarette. He then threw chilli powder into Ravi Kumar's eyes. </p>.<p class="bodytext">At that moment, the others in the van barged into the stall and hacked the corporator to death. Then, they abandoned near the van near Hanumanthapura and escaped in another car. </p>.<p class="bodytext">Among the eight assailants, seven were already arrested. It is learnt that two people were notifying Sujay about Ravi Kumar's movements. "There were many others involved-- who provided the weapons and the car to escape. They will be rounded up soon," the SP added. </p>.<p class="CrossHead">Hired rowdies from Mandya, Bengaluru </p>.<p class="bodytext">The SP added that as Sujay was unable to find enough people for the attack in Tumakuru, he hired Jagadish and Mahesh --rowdy sheeters in Mandya and Raghu, Jomon V George & Rajesh--rowdy sheeters from Bengaluru. </p>.<p class="bodytext">The minivan was rented from a city rental who had no idea that the vehicle was being used for a murder. The special team investigating the murder had 25 police staff the SP added.</p>.<p><strong>Friends became rivals</strong></p>.<p>The SP said that in 2013, victim Ravi Kumar and Sujay were friends. Later they became rivals gradually. Sujay accused Ravi Kumar of neglecting him after the latter became a corporator. </p>.<p>Sujay was earlier booked in an atrocities case. He believed that Ravi Kumar was behind the case filed against him. This feeling made them enemies gradually. </p>.<p>The SP also revealed that Sujay was wanted in nine cases totally, since the 2014 Jayapura Krishna murder. Sujay is also wanted in a twin-murder case of Kengeri, Bengaluru.</p>