Gangs of Bengaluru: Rowdy escapes murder attempt

Hameed Ashraf | NT

Bengaluru: A deadly gang war erupted in Hulimavu on Sunday morning, when Narayana Swamy, alias JCB Narayana, a notorious rowdy sheeter, was driving his SUV on DLF Road. He escaped by the skin of his teeth when a gang of five unknown assailants, presumably from a rival gang, blocked his path. The men were wielding machetes and swords. Narayana instantly pulled his vehicle into reverse and sped off in the direction from which he had come.

The assailants chased him for a short distance, but couldn’t catch Narayana, who drove off fast. The entire incident has been captured on CCTV and the footage has been doing rounds on social media.

It was a highly cinematic moment for all those who watched it on social media, taking place in broad daylight. However, police say it was a ‘botched ambush’ carried out by a rival gang to eliminate him. In 2016, one of his close associates, Venkatesh, was hacked to death by members of a rival gang near Parappana Agrahara junction.

JCB Narayana, who was once known as Bengaluru’s land mafia, was wanted in more than 17 criminal cases. These included three murders and two attempt-to- murder cases. He has been arrested on multiple occasions and is reported to be on bail at the moment.

Thirteen rowdy-related murders have taken place in Bengaluru this year alone, including that of a former BBMP corporator, Rekha Kadiresh, on June 24. The numbers may seem alarming, but Bengaluru police insist that the trend is no different from previous years.

The police said they are trying to identify the perpetrators.