Ballari: Theviolent clash that erupted in Ballari on January 1 over the installation of banners, involving supporters of Bharath Reddy and mining baron G. Janardhana Reddy, has taken a serious turn with major developments in the investigation. The incident, which claimed the life of Congress worker Rajashekhar, has triggered sharp political exchanges between the Congress and the BJP, while police action has intensified.

According to police sources, a total of 20 accused have been arrested so far in connection with the violence. Among them are 10 Congress workers and 10 BJP workers, indicating that the clash involved activists from both sides. The arrests were made by the Brucepet police following a detailed probe into the sequence of events that unfolded during the confrontation.

The arrested BJP workers have been identified as B. Ravi, Ravibabu, Pothappa, Bajjappa, G. Srinivasa, Shadakshari, Rangaswamy, Guruprasad, P. Srinivasa Reddy, Lakshana and Thimmappa. Meanwhile, the Congress workers taken into custody include Karthik (25), Mukkanna (28), Inayathulla (24), Raju (20), Mustafa (22), Srikanth (30), Mohammed Rasool (35), Babu (38), Venkatesh (38) and Mubashir (25).

In a significant breakthrough, investigators have established that the 12 mm bullet which killed Rajashekhar was fired from the weapon of Gurucharan Singh, a private gunman employed by Satish Reddy, a close associate of Bharath Reddy.

Police have taken Gurucharan Singh into custody for questioning. Along with him, two other private security personnel of Satish Reddy—Baljit Singh and another gunman identified as Gurucharan Singh—have also been detained. All three are natives of Punjab and were reportedly present at the scene on January 1, during which firing took place.

The case has further widened, with sources indicating that Bharath Reddy and G. Janardhana Reddy may also face legal trouble. Police have registered a suo motu case on allegations that the violence was instigated and are examining the possible role of senior political figures in provoking the clash.

Adding to the seriousness of the case, a video accessed by TV9 has raised questions about whether the violence was premeditated. The footage allegedly shows a group of miscreants arriving in an auto-rickshaw carrying bottles and petrol bombs, suggesting advance planning ahead of the attack on Janardhana Reddy’s residence.

During the January 1 clash, large-scale stone pelting, assaults with sticks and indiscriminate firing were reported.

While private gunmen of Satish Reddy fired shots into the air, police also resorted to firing to bring the situation under control. However, amid the chaos, Congress worker Rajashekhar was fatally shot, an incident that has since intensified political tensions and heightened security concerns in Ballari.