Bullet recovered from Rajasekhar’s body matched with firearm of Bharath Reddy’s private guard, say police sources

Ballari: The bullet recovered from the body of Congress worker Rajasekhar (28), who was killed during violent clashes in Ballari city on Thursday night, has been conclusively matched with the firearm of a private security guard attached to Ballari Congress MLA Nara Bharath Reddy, according to highly placed police sources.

The post-mortem examination was conducted at the Ballari Medical College and Research Centre (BMCRC–VIMS). Officials familiar with the autopsy said a “12 mm single-bore” bullet wound was found on Rajasekhar’s body, and forensic analysis confirmed that the bullet matched ammunition used in one of the firearms seized from the MLA’s security detail.

Forensic experts compared materials collected from the crime scene with ballistic samples from five weapons seized from Bharath Reddy’s private and official guards. The comparison established that the fatal bullet was fired from a weapon carried by one of the MLA’s close aides’ security personnel, sources said.

Adding to the evidence, several videos circulating on social media allegedly show Bharath Reddy’s private guards firing shots in the direction of former minister G Janardhana Reddy’s residence and nearby areas during the clashes. Police are examining the authenticity of these videos as part of the investigation.

In a complaint filed at the Brucepet police station (Crime No. 0001/2026), Rajasekhar’s brother Ishwar Reddy alleged that Janardhana Reddy himself fired the gunshot that killed his brother and later issued life threats. The police, however, have stated that the ballistic findings point towards a weapon used by Bharath Reddy’s security personnel, and further investigation is underway to establish individual culpability.

As part of the probe, police have seized five firearms belonging to the private and government security guards of Bharath Reddy and his associates. All seized weapons have been secured at the Brucepet police station for detailed forensic examination.

Rajasekhar’s mortal remains were taken from VIMS to his residence in Husseini Nagar under tight security. Ballari MLAs Nara Bharath Reddy and JN Ganesh paid their last respects and later shouldered the bier during the funeral procession, which concluded at the Harishchandra Ghat on Rupanagudi Road. Bharath Reddy announced compensation for the bereaved family, both from the government and on a personal basis.

Initially, Congress workers attempted to take out a large funeral procession, but police denied permission, allowing it only along a designated route under Section 144 prohibitory orders.

Meanwhile, Ballari city, which witnessed two major clashes on New Year’s Day, is gradually returning to normalcy amid heavy police deployment. Additional police forces from Vijayanagara, Koppal and Raichur districts have been pressed into service. ADGP Hithendra and IGP Ravikante Gowda are stationed in the city to oversee law and order.

In a related development, Ballari Superintendent of Police Pavan Nejjur, who assumed charge only on January 1, was suspended on Friday on charges of dereliction of duty. The suspension followed an adverse report submitted by DIG Vartika Katiyar, citing failure to assess the gravity of the situation and inform senior officer promptly. Chitradurga SP Ranjith Kumar Bhandari has been given additional charge of Ballari.

Police have registered four FIRs in connection with the violence and Rajasekhar’s death. In all cases, Janardhana Reddy, Somasekhara Reddy and B Sriramulu have been named as accused A1, A2 and A3 respectively. Notably, despite references to Bharath Reddy in the suo motu FIR (04/2026), his name does not appear in the list of accused, a point that has triggered political controversy.