Bengaluru: A 19-year-old youth with no alleged connection to a gang rivalry is battling for his life after he was brutally attacked with machetes by a group that mistook him for a rival gang member near Old Chandapura Circle on the outskirts of Bengaluru.
The victim, identified as Rakshith, a resident of Balagaranahalli village near Anekal, was attacked on Saturday night while eating fish with friends at a roadside stall under the jurisdiction of the Suryanagar Police Station.
According to the preliminary investigation, the attack stemmed from a long-running rivalry between Manjunath alias ‘Villain’, a resident of Bommasandra, and Shiva, a resident of Chandapura.
Rivalry ends in mistaken identity attack
Police said Manjunath had allegedly challenged Shiva and his associate Kishore to meet him near Old Chandapura Circle after a heated argument over the phone. The rivalry reportedly began after a dispute between their brothers over the installation of a birthday banner.
Investigators said Manjunath, accompanied by associates identified as Manu, Karthik, and two others, reached the spot armed with deadly weapons. Before they could confront Shiva, he and his friends allegedly fled.
Mistaking Rakshith, who was eating nearby, for one of Shiva’s associates, the accused allegedly attacked him indiscriminately with machetes. Rakshith sustained grievous injuries to his head, hands and legs and was rushed to a nearby private hospital, where he remains in critical condition.
Police launch hunt for accused
During the attack, the assailants also allegedly vandalised two autorickshaws belonging to Shiva and Prajwal by smashing their windows.
Rakshith’s father, Rangaswamy, said his son had no connection to any gang rivalry and appealed for strict punishment against those responsible.
The Suryanagar Police have registered a case of attempt to murder and launched a search for the accused. Police said some of the suspects have previous criminal cases against them, though none are listed as rowdy sheeters.