Bengaluru: A violent gang rivalry on the outskirts of the city took a tragic turn when an innocent youth was allegedly attacked with machetes by a group that mistook him for a rival member. The victim, who had no connection to the feud, is now battling for his life at a private hospital.Nineteen-year-old Rakshith, a resident of Balagaranahalli village near Anekal taluk, was attacked Saturday night while having fish with his friends at a stall near Old Chandapura Circle, under the jurisdiction of Suryanagar police.Based on preliminary investigation, police said the attack on Rakshith, a driver, was due to the long-standing rivalry between Bommasandra resident Manjunath alias ‘Villain’ and Shiva, a resident of Chandapura. Before gathering near Old Chandapura Circle, Manjunath had a heated argument with Shiva and his friend Kishore over phone. Manjunath allegedly challenged Shiva and Kishore to meet him near Old Chandapura Circle. A senior officer said the two groups developed disputes after Manjunath and Shiva’s brothers fought over the trivial issue of putting up a birthday banner recently.Police said Manjunath, along with his associates Manu, Karthik, and two others, arrived at the spot armed with weapons. However, before they could confront Shiva, he, along with his friends Prajwal and Kishore, managed to flee the scene.Believing Rakshith, who was eating at the nearby roadside stall, to be a member of Shiva’s gang, Manjunath and his four associates turned on him and attacked him indiscriminately. Rakshith, who had no idea about the rivalry, sustained grievous injuries to his head, hands, and legs, and was rushed to a nearby private hospital by his friends and locals. He remains in critical condition.During the attack, the assailants also vandalised two autorickshaws belonging to Shiva and Prajwal, smashing their windows.Rakshith’s father Rangaswamy said his son was at home until Saturday evening before leaving with his friend Darshan. Around 9pm, the family received a call from the cops informing them about the attack on Rakshith. “When we reached the hospital, we found he had suffered multiple injuries after being attacked with weapons. My son had no enmity with anyone… My only wish is that my son survives and that those responsible for the attack receive the strictest punishment,” the distraught father said.A case of attempt to murder has been registered at Suryanagar police station, and efforts are on to trace and arrest the accused. A couple of the attackers were involved in criminal cases in the past, but none are not rowdy-sheeters, a police source said.
