Sri Rama Sene leader shot at in Belagavi, three arrested

www.mangaloretoday.com

Belagavi, Jan 8, 2023: The Belagavi Police Sunday arrested three men for allegedly opening fire at Sri Rama Sene’s Belagavi president Ravi Kokitkar and his car driver in the Hindalga village on the outskirts of the Belagavi on Saturday.

The police identified the arrested as Abhijeet S Bhatkande, Rahul N Kodachawad and Jyotiba G Mutagekar.

According to police sources, the incident took place around 8 pm when Kokitkar and his driver, Manoj Desurkar, were travelling in their SUV. The bullet hit Kokitkar on the chin while Manoj suffered injuries to his shoulder, the police said. They were shifted to a private hospital in Belagavi. The police said both were out of danger and in stable condition.

A police official said Abhijeet and Kokitkar were into financing and real estate businesses for many years but their relationship strained later. Two years ago, Kokitkar and his associates attacked Abhijeet with machetes in an alleged murder attempt, said the police. Abhijeet survived and a case of attempt to murder was registered against Kokitkar, the police said.

Kokitkar has around six cases against him, said the police. He is reportedly involved in financing, real estate and other businesses.

Kokitkar, who has been vocal about Hindutva ideology in the Belagavi region, recently held a campaign to install a portrait of V D Savarkar in the Hindalga central prison where the freedom fighter was jailed for 99 days.

After the shooting, tension escalated in the Belagavi region as Sri Rama Sene activists alleged it was a communal attack and the police stepped up security. The police said the tense situation has calmed down following the arrest.