BENGALURU: Former grocery store chain owner Ravi Prasad Reddy of Hebbagodi, arrested on charges of murdering two friends, had become a vegetable vendor after incurring a loss of around Rs 5 crore during the Covid-19 pandemic.Around 60 people to whom he lent money or with whom he had invested in chit funds, died or left the city during the pandemic, causing him a huge loss, police investigations have revealed.Reddy, 40, allegedly murdered tea shop owner R Madesh (41), who was also involved in the chit-fund business, and Balappa Reddy (61), who owned a metal fabrication factory — to rob them and demand ransom. Reddy was arrested from a bar close to his home Saturday afternoon.The accused was shot at and injured in both knees when he tried to attack police personnel near a burial ground at Bommasandra, where he was taken for a spot investigation late Saturday night.Police picked up Reddy's two associates — Dhanush and Sateesh — for questioning as they accompanied him during Balappa's abduction on Nov 6. Despite these efforts, more financial losses compelled his wife and two children to live with his uncle, while Reddy moved to a small house rented from Balappa, one of the victims.To rebuild his life, Reddy set up a vegetable stall and brought Dhanush and Sateesh from Andhra Pradesh to help him with the business.Inspiration drawn from crime filmsAccording to Reddy, movies showing people kidnapping victims for ransom encouraged him to do so.
Author: TNN
Published at: 2025-11-09 23:39:21
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