Bengaluru: Barely a couple of days after he was handed a breather in a case of Breach of Privilege, Ravi Belagere, Editor of Kannada tabloid ‘Hai Bangalore,’ was arrested yesterday by Central Crime Branch (CCB) officers for allegedly attempting and conspiring to murder Sunil Heggaravalli, one of his former employees. According to the Police, the plot to eliminate Sunil was a meticulously drawn plan and they have enough evidence to nail Belagere. It is very rare for the accused in such a case to get bail. Belagere had a major role to play in the case as he paid money, gave a gun and ammunition to carry out the killing. Police sources said that Belagere had been having troubles at home and Sunil probably had a role to play in them. The Police raided Prarthana School in Padmanabhanagar (from where Belagere runs his tabloid) around 1.30 pm. Another person, Shashidhar Ramachandra Mundawadagi, allegedly hired by Belagere to carry out the killing, was arrested on Thursday. At Belagere’s school, the Police found a revolver, 53 live bullets, a double barrel gun and 41 live bullets. A tortoise shell of 1.5 x 1.5 ft and a deer pelt were also recovered. He was booked under IPC sections 120-B (criminal conspiracy), 307 (attempt to murder) and sections 3 and 25 of the Arms Act. Belagere was produced before the First Additional City Chief Magistrate Jagadeesh at his residence late last night and he was sent to four-day custody. Police said that Belagere had planned to eliminate Sunil Heggaravalli, who had worked for 15 years at the tabloid. Heggaravalli had quit the publication in December 2014 and the two apparently had a personal feud.
How the case was cracked
