Former underworld don Muthappa Rai’s security guard arrested for attack on son Ricky

Daniel George

Former underworld don Muthappa Rai’s loyalist and gunman Vittal Monappa has been arrested for firing at the former's son Ricky Rai near Bidadi last week.

R Srinivas Gowda, Superintendent of Police, Ramanagar, told CH that Monappa was taken into custody on Thursday evening.

Officials familiar with the probe said Monappa spent considerable time with Muthappa Rai for three decades as his gunman. A senior retired police official said that Monappa was employed by Muthappa Rai from his Madikeri days where he lived since the 1990’s. “Monappa has been an old employee of Muthappa Rai and has seen his sons Ricky and Rocky grow up as little children. He was given odd jobs to do after his health failed and Muthappa Rai had even helped him undergo an operation then’’ the official said.

"Monappa could have been secured by the police for information and we will have to wait for the investigation to unfold’’ the official said.

Monappa was a gatekeeper at Ricky’s house in Bidadi. Before that, he had served as a gunman to Muthappa for nearly three decades.

Police who began probing the case stumbled upon the loose ends in the case and had suspected an insider’s job in the incident but kept the investigation to their wait and watch approach.

Monappa was questioned two days ago before being taken to the Jayadeva hospital after he complained of chest pain. He was discharged on Thursday morning and questioned for several hours before being placed under arrest. A court has remanded him in police custody.

Ricky, 33, was shot in his moving Toyota Fortuner from a distance of less than 50 metres near his house in Bidadi in the early hours of April 19. The assailant, apparently hiding behind a cement wall, fired a shotgun. The bullet pierced the car door and brushed the driver’s back before scraping Ricky’s right arm and nose.