Ballari Superintendent of Police Pavan Nejjur was suspended on Friday, January 2, barely a day after assuming charge, following a violent clash outside BJP MLA G Janardhana Reddy’s residence that left a Congress worker dead. Chief Minister Siddaramaiah ordered an inquiry into the incident, stating that the bullet fired “into the air” struck and killed 35-year-old Rajashekhar Reddy. “It must be established from whose revolver the bullet was fired,” the CM said.
The violence erupted late Thursday night, January 1, when supporters of Janardhana Reddy objected to banners being put up for a January 3 event marking the installation of a Maharishi Valmiki statue. What began as a verbal altercation on the narrow road leading to the MLA’s house escalated into pushing, stone-pelting and eventually gunfire. Police resorted to lathi charge and tear gas to disperse the crowd.
Rajashekhar Reddy, a Congress worker and supporter of MLA Nara Bharath Reddy, collapsed with a gunshot wound during the chaos and died shortly thereafter.
A report submitted by ADGP (Law and Order) R Hitendra to the government held SP Nejjur responsible for failing to control the situation and for not briefing senior officers as the violence unfolded. Hitendra said five privately owned firearms had been seized from both sides, and CCTV footage from the area had been secured. Home Minister G Parameshwara said preliminary findings suggested the fatal bullet was not fired from a police weapon and that forensic analysis was underway.
According to forensic findings cited by Deccan Herald, a 12 mm bullet recovered from the victim’s body was fired from a single-bore weapon. Spent bullets and other evidence were collected from the scene shortly after the incident, and the bullet retrieved during the post-mortem was matched with those recovered earlier.
Four FIRs have been registered at the Brucepet police station, including cases against BJP MLA Janardhana Reddy and former minister B Sriramulu.
The incident has triggered sharp political reactions. BJP leaders accused the Congress government of targeting Janardhana Reddy, with state party president B Y Vijayendra terming the episode “premeditated” and demanding a judicial inquiry by a sitting High Court judge. Sriramulu, who has also been booked, alleged there was an attempt on Janardhana Reddy’s life and claimed petrol bombs had been hurled. He demanded that all bullet casings be accounted for and the FSL report be made public at the earliest.
A BJP delegation led by opposition leaders R Ashoka and Chalavadi Narayanaswamy met the DGP in Bengaluru, seeking security for Janardhana Reddy and alleging provocation by Congress workers.
Congress leaders rejected the allegations. Ballari in-charge minister Zameer Ahmed Khan said the Chief Minister was deeply disturbed by the incident and assured that action would be taken strictly based on evidence. MLA Bharath Reddy, who visited the deceased’s family, described Rajashekhar as “like a brother” and said he would speak further only after the final rites.
Prohibitory orders have been imposed in parts of Ballari, and additional police forces have been deployed to maintain law and order.