A 42-year-old advocate, identified as Manjunath, was allegedly shot dead at his residence in Bengaluru on Sunday night by two tenants following a dispute over unpaid rent. The incident took place around midnight in Pattandur Agrahara, under the jurisdiction of Whitefield Police Station.
Preliminary investigations suggest that Manjunath had an altercation with the two tenants over unpaid rent nearly an hour before the shooting.
After a heated argument, the tenants allegedly fired at Manjunath. Investigators suspect that the assailants used a country-made pistol that had reportedly been smuggled into Bengaluru, NDTV reported.
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Manjunath was allegedly shot in the forehead when he answered the door after the assailants knocked at around 11.30 pm.
The tenants, originally from Bihar, work as gig workers for delivery platforms such as Swiggy and Zomato, as well as the ride-hailing service Rapido.
Police are following leads to identify the suspects and determine their whereabouts, with efforts underway to track them down and take them into custody.
The Deputy Commissioner of Police for Whitefield Division said the investigation is ongoing to determine the sequence of events and trace the weapon's origin.
Police suspect that a rental dispute may have led to the killing, though the exact motive remains unclear.
Manjunath reportedly held considerable property assets, including several acres of land in Bengaluru's Whitefield area, parts of which he had leased out for use as sheds.
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Whitefield police have filed a murder case and launched a search operation to locate and arrest the suspects. Investigators are examining CCTV footage from the surrounding area and checking delivery platform records to establish the accused persons' movements.
Police have also urged homeowners to ensure that tenant police verification is completed before renting out their properties.
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