Karnataka: BJP Yuva Morcha leader hacked to death in Gangavati; 4 arrested
Police said the BJP Yuva Morcha leader had assisted the police in arresting several accused, which earned him the enmity of a gang
Bidar: A local Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Yuva Morcha president was murdered in Gangavati, Koppal district, early on Wednesday in what police believe was the result of a long-standing personal enmity.
The victim, identified as Venkatesh Kurubara, 34, a resident of Devinagar in Gangavati, was attacked around 2 am near a private hospital on Koppal Road. According to police, a gang of six men arrived in a car, rammed his motorcycle, and then assaulted him with machetes and iron rods. He died on the spot.
Koppal district superintendent of police (SP) Ram L. Arasiddhi said that four of the six suspects have been arrested. “There was animosity between BJP Yuva Morcha president Venkatesh and Ravi from Lingaraj Camp since 2003. In a previous case, Venkatesh had assisted the police in arresting several accused, which created deep resentment. Ravi and his group committed the murder because of this enmity,” the SP told Hindustan Times.
Venkatesh was returning home after dinner with friends at Devicamp when the group ambushed him. His friend, Ramu, who was with him, said, “All of us were returning together when seven or eight people suddenly came with deadly weapons and attacked us. They threatened us and chased us away.”
Police later recovered the Tata Indica allegedly used in the attack. The car, bearing a Bengaluru registration, was found abandoned in Gangavati’s HRS Colony after one of its tyres burst. Investigators seized weapons from the vehicle and deployed fingerprint and dog squads to the scene.
The arrested men have been identified as Bhima Bharath (23), Salim (21), Vijay (25), and Dhanraj Rao (24). Police said efforts are underway to trace the remaining suspects.
Venkatesh’s father, Hampanya Jantakal, said the family had long feared retaliation from Ravi and his associates. “In 2023, my son’s friend Maruti Salaga was fatally attacked by Ravi’s group. My son helped the police identify the attackers, leading to their arrest. Since then, Ravi and his men have harbored a grudge,” he said.
He added that in 2024, Ravi sent Venkatesh a threatening WhatsApp message saying he would kill him within a week. “My son filed a complaint at the Gangavati Nagar police station. But he lived in fear ever since, staying with friends and avoiding going out alone,” he said.
One of Venkatesh’s friends, Prajwal, who was with him at the time of the attack, sustained injuries and is being treated at a local hospital, his father said.
Karnataka BJP president B.Y. Vijayendra expressed grief over the killing, calling it “heartbreaking.” In a statement, he said, “The news of the tragic demise of Venkatesh, who was the president of the Yuva Morcha in Gangavati taluk, is deeply saddening. I express my condolences to his family. May his soul rest in peace.”
A case has been registered by the victim’s father, Hampanya Jantakal (55), at the Gangavati Town Police Station under various sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) — including Sections 189(2), 191(2), 191(3), 61(1), 103, and 190 — under Crime No. 199/2025.
Police are examining CCTV footage from the area and questioning the arrested men to establish the full motive behind the attack. “We will arrest the remaining accused soon,” SP Arasiddhi said, adding that the investigation has been intensified.
