Representative image of a man holding a machete.
Credit: iStock Photo
Bengaluru: A 27-year-old murder accused released from prison six months ago was hacked to death by unknown assailants near Anekal on the southern outskirts of Bengaluru on Sunday morning, police said.
Vijay Kumar, the second accused in the 2017 murder of a man named Manoj Kumar, was attacked with machetes around 4 am about 100 metres from his home in Marsur village, said Mallikarjun Baladandi, Superintendent of Police, Bengaluru District.
Preliminary police investigations suggest that Manoj's brother Arjun possibly plotted the murder and led the assailants. Police are looking for CCTV footage.
Vijay was reportedly called out of his home by an unidentified man on the pretext of "urgent talks".
For now, police believe that there were at least three assailants who swung machetes at Vijay's head, dealing a deadly blow, according to police.
Sources in the police said that Vijay had kept to himself after being released from prison and wasn't involved in any criminal activities. While his involvement in Manoj's murder likely led to his killing, police haven't ruled out other angles.
“We have yet to establish who called the deceased out and why he went with him at such an odd hour," a police source said.
Besides reviewing CCTV footage, police are also digging out details of his activities since his release from prison.
A case of murder has been filed at the Anekal police station.