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Police have made 14 arrests over gangster Siddapura Mahesh's brutal murder last week.
Mahesh (35) was hacked to death on August 4 while driving home after being released from the Central Prison at Parappana Agrahara. He had driven just one-and-a-half kilometres from the prison when a gang of assailants intercepted him at Hosa Road-Hosur Road Junction near Electronics City in southern Bengaluru.
He dashed out of his car and ran for his life but was chased down. He was then hacked with machetes in the middle of the road as onlookers watched in horror.
Mahesh was lodged in the Central Prison after he surrendered in an attempted murder case registered at the Thalaghattapura police station. He was named in at least 10 other cases, including murder and extortion, and got married two months ago.
A senior police officer investigating the case said all 14 arrested men were at the crime scene and it was a "well-planned attack".
"This murder was rooted in old enmity and appears to have been committed for turf dominance," the officer said.
Explaining the concept of gang wars, the officer said: "Criminal gangs still exist in all cities. There have been minor attacks but they have gone unreported. They come to light only when something this big happens."
He was referring to the Mahesh murder case. "The cause of these murderous attacks is the desire to assert one's authority and reign supreme in the criminal circuit," the officer added.
Police are investigating how the assailants learnt about Mahesh's release from prison.
"Court proceedings are now available online. The assailants must have been closely following them," the officer said.
Additionally, the gang may have kept a close watch on the lawyer who represented Mahesh. "These gangs pay attention to even minor details such as the lawyer handling the cases of their enemies and his whereabouts to keep themselves updated. This may well have been the case," said the officer.