Bengaluru, Jan 4 (NationPress) Karnataka authorities have apprehended a gunman associated with an aide of Congress MLA Nara Bharat Reddy in relation to a shooting incident that resulted in the death of a Congress party worker, as confirmed by an official on Sunday.

This incident is expected to incite significant controversy, stemming from a violent altercation over the installation of a banner between supporters of MLA Bharat Reddy and mining magnate and BJP MLA Gali Janardhana Reddy.

Authorities have confirmed the arrest of Gurucharan Singh, who is a private firearm operator for Satish Reddy, a close confidant of Ballari city Congress MLA Bharat Reddy.

It has been determined that Congress worker Rajashekar was fatally wounded by a bullet discharged by Gurucharan Singh during the altercation. Following this revelation, police initially detained him before moving to make a formal arrest.

According to police reports, the 12 mm bullet was fired at a range of four to five feet, which accounts for the solitary fatality. Had the bullet been fired from a distance exceeding 10 feet, it could have dispersed, possibly leading to additional casualties.

Currently, the police have detained 45 individuals for questioning, with a total of 26 arrests made, including 13 BJP supporters.

Nine gunmen have been detained, comprising four from Satish Reddy, one government gunman associated with MLA Bharat Reddy named Basavaraj, four government gunmen of MLA Janardhana Reddy, and one linked to former minister B. Sriramulu. As of now, only Gurucharan Singh has been formally charged.

Medical assessments have been conducted on all detainees, according to police statements.

Authorities have verified that the bullet that struck Rajashekar was a 12 mm single-bore bullet. In connection with this investigation, police have confiscated five firearms.

In the wake of the violence in Ballari, mining baron and BJP MLA Gali Janardhana Reddy has sent letters to Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, Home Minister G. Parameshwara, and Director General of Police Dr. M.A. Saleem, requesting 'Z' category security for himself and his family.

In these letters, he has also called for the arrest of MLA Bharat Reddy and Satish Reddy, as well as action against police officials for allegedly neglecting to manage the situation. He warned that if security is not provided and any harm comes to him or his family in the future, the state government should be held accountable.

However, Home Minister G. Parameshwara stated on Sunday that he has yet to receive any such correspondence.

He further clarified that the shooting did not involve firearms issued by police, a detail confirmed by the Additional Director General of Police.

Parameshwara noted that the shooting was executed using a private weapon and mentioned that the government is contemplating transferring the investigation into the death of Congress worker Rajashekar to the Criminal Investigation Department (CID).

“I will confer with Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, and if deemed necessary, we will refer the case to the CID for further investigation,” Parameshwara stated.