BENGALURU, 23 MARCH

A 37-year-old real estate businessman was killed in a drunken brawl in BGS Layout on Saturday evening. The accused are currently on the run, and the city police have formed five special teams to track them down.

The victim, Loknath Singh, was a real estate businessman who reportedly had political connections in Magadi.

According to the police, the murder took place around 5pm near an under-construction building in BGS Layout, within the Soladevanahalli police station limits.

A native of Kuduru in Magadi taluk, Singh had arrived at the site with friends and was consuming alcohol when a heated argument escalated into violence. The attackers – believed to be known to the victim – assaulted him with sharp weapons. Singh ran into the under-construction building, but the assailants chased him down and fatally attacked him before fleeing the scene.

Alerted by local residents, Soladevanahalli police conducted a preliminary investigation and registered a case. "We suspect either financial disputes or personal enmity, possibly linked to a woman, led to the murder," said a senior police official.

Recently, the city has witnessed a surge in drunken brawls escalating into fatal attacks in recent months, particularly in areas where real estate disputes and gang rivalries are prevalent.