4 arrested for killing RSS worker

Bengaluru, Oct 28: RSS worker Rudresh R, 35, was allegedly hacked to death by four of his long-time acquaintances who were upset with his meteoric rise as a leader in Shivajinagar and the neighbourhood, police have claimed.

Announcing the arrest of the quartet at a news conference here on Thursday, city police commissioner NS Megharikhsaid that the accused confessed to their crime. They told police "Rudresh was harassing people from our community". The arrested were identified as Mohammed Sadiq alias Mohammed Mazhar, 35, of JC Nagar; Mohammed Mujibulla alias Moula alias Mujeeb, 44, of RT Nagar; Wasim Ahmed, 30, of Austin Town, and Irfan Pasha, 30, of Govindapura. Police seized two motorcycles from the accused. While Irfan Pasha is an AC mechanic, the other three accused are automobile mechanics, police said.

Rudresh was hacked to death on Kamaraj Road around 11.30am on October 16.He was standing with three friends and fellow RSS activ ists when two men on a black Bajaj Pulsar approached him, and the pillion rider swung a machete at Rudresh's neck.

According to police sources, Mazhar was riding the bike and Wasim was the pillion.

The accused and Rudresh knew each other for a few years, police said. Mazhar's automobile workshop was next to Rudresh's residence near Milkman's Colony.

"Rudresh would send his friends' motorbikes and cars to the three accused for repairs and other purposes. The accused had taken Rudresh's help many times to arrange entertainment programmes and pandal material during their festivals," police said.

But the quartet saw red over Rudresh's growth as an RSS leader, Megharikhsaid."Rudresh was becoming popular by the day in his area, and the accused decided to kill him. We have to interrogate them for details like how did they plan, and did somebody finance them," Megharikh said, adding, "We are also checking whether the accused belong to any organization or are associates."

The murder threatened to snowball into a huge law and order issue with RSS andBJP workers hitting the roads, demanding swift arrest of the accused.