The death of a 83-year-old retired Intelligence Bureau (IB) officer in Mysuru, who was crushed by a car while off for an evening walk, had set the alarm bell ringing.
RN Kulkarni, a retired assistant director of the IB, had also penned a book in which he spoke about many facets of terrorism in the country.
According to the officials, Kulkarni was a schoolteacher before joining IB. He also worked with the Research and Analysis Wing (RAW). He worked on Indian diplomatic missions, in the corporate world, and even as a pilot.
After serving the nation for 35 years, Kulkarni retired 23 years ago. He went on to author three books, including ‘Sin of National Conscience’, where Kulkarni wrote about intelligence operations.
However, it was his third book, ‘Facets of Terrorism in India’, that set up a discourse with Kulkarni and wrote about how India experienced the Jihad throughout the Islamic Rule over 1000 years. The Union Finance minister, Nirmala Sitharaman, released the book in 2019.
Karnataka Police claimed on Sunday that CCTV footage showed the vehicle swerving and crashing into him before speeding away. Initially thought to be a hit-and-run case, police now say that Kulkarni may have been targeted over a personal dispute.
Police also said that the civic body had recently ruled in favour of the 83-year-old former officer in the property dispute case. They also claimed to have taken two people into custody.
CCTV footage showed Kulkarni was hit by the car when he was taking his evening walk inside the Mysuru University campus. Such was the impact that Kulkarni was thrown into the air before hitting the ground.
The car did not stop and simply rushed away. Kulkarni was rushed to a hospital but succumbed to his injuries later.
Mysuru Police Commissioner Chandragupta said, “We got preliminary information that an accident took place on November 4 at 5.30 pm at Manasa Gangotri, where an 83-year-old person was killed after being hit by a car.”
“When we investigated it thoroughly, we arrived at the conclusion that it was not an accident but a murder, and accordingly, we started our investigation,” he said.
“Three investigation teams led by the Assistant Commissioner of Police Narasimharaja jurisdiction have been constituted. We got suspicious after we found that there were no number plates on the vehicle. There are some leads that we cannot disclose now,” Chandragupta added.
The VV Puram Traffic Police initially registered a case of negligent and rash driving. But after the CCTV footage emerged, the case was transferred to the Jayalakshmipuram police station.
In the police complaint, Kulkarni’s son-in-law, Sanjay Angadi, accused one Madappa and his son of being behind the alleged killing.
Police Commissioner Chandragupta said Sunday they had taken Madappa and one more person into custody for questioning.
According to the police, Madappa lived near Kulkarni’s residence in Sharadadevi Nagar in Mysuru. He had allegedly constructed his house without leaving enough space, violating a bylaw of the Mysuru City Corporation (MCC).
Kulkarni approached the civic body, which, on November 2, ordered Madappa to vacate the house. Kulkarni’s daughter and son-in-law alleged that he was being targeted by Madappa over the case.