Daijiworld Media Network –Vijayapura (RJP)

Vijayapura, Aug 9: Notorious gangster of Vijayapura, Bhagappa Harijan was shot in the court complex here on Tuesday August 8. The assailant managed to flee from the spot. Bhagappa has been admitted in a hospital and is said to be in critical condition.

“One bullet has pierced his chest through the back, another near his stomach and one near his hip. We have found four bullet casings at the spot. We have launched a massive manhunt for the suspect based on accounts of the eyewitnesses,” Vijayapura SP, Kuldeep Jain said.

On Tuesday morning when Bhagappa stepped out of vehicle at the Vijayapura district court’s parking lot, he was greeted by a man. Bhagappa walked on to attend a hearing for a murder case in which he is the prime accused. But before he could move further, the man who greeted him whipped out a gun and shot Bhagappa once on his back and then came forward and shot him thrice more.

Bhagappa Harijan was only 29-years-old when he was arrested by the Gulbarga police in Pune on July 6, 2007. An alleged contract killer and associate of a gangster of yesteryears, Chandappa Harijan, Bhagappa is an accused in 10 murder cases.

Bhagappa’s arrest brought an end to a saga of gang wars in Vijayapura which has a history going back over 50 years. The gang wars go back to Kashappa Tavarkhed who started a gang in Devangaon village in Sindagi taluk in the 1970’s.

Kashappa’s gang got into extortion, contract killing, rioting and rape. After him, his son, Chandappa Harijan took over. He had over 55 murder cases registered against him and was killed in a police encounter in May 2000. Bhagappa Harijan escaped that encounter.

The police had come close to arresting the elusive criminal on several occasions in the past. Bhagappa, who had spread terror in Vijayapura district, parts of Gulbarga district and the villages bordering Maharashtra, was always a step ahead of the police and had managed to escape from the traps laid out for him several times.

Bhagappa’s arrest was a major breakthrough for the police as the gang war which was at its peak during the 1990s came close to being non-existent after his arrest.

After Chandappa’s death, Bhagappa had taken over the leadership of the gang, leaving Chandappa’s brother Yellappa Harijan bitter about being sidelined. Yellappa become Bhagappa’s arch rival after that.

Bhagappa Harijan had provided vital clues about his criminal activities and his alleged nexus with politicians including a Gulbarga MLA.

“He has confessed to killing 10 people and admitted to having been complicit in seven other murder cases pending in Vijayapura and Kalburgi courts. He has also confessed to killing Chandappa’s brother-in-law Muthuraj,” SP Kuldeep said.

Vijayapura police have registered a case of attempted murder.

The police said that the attack was planned in advance and the assailant came on a Pulsar bike.