Bengaluru: Ramanagara police Thursday arrested former underworld operator late Muthappa Rai‘s aide suspecting his involvement in an attempt to kill the former’s son Ricky Rai.
Hailing from Madikeri, Mannappa Vittal, now in his 60s, had worked with Muthappa Rai as his gunman for more than 25 years, police said. He was produced before a Ramanagara court which remanded him in 10-day judicial custody.

Ricky Rai was shot at on the intervening night of April 19 and 20 when he, accompanied by driver Basavaraju and gunman Rajpal, was travelling by a Toyota Fortuner. The bullet, fired from outside the Rais’ Bidadi bungalow, pierced the driver-side door of the SUV. Ricky was injured in the nose and right shoulder.
“Vittal, due to age and health issues, is now working as a manager for the Rais at Bidadi and lives there,” a senior police officer said.
The reason for suspicion is that Vittal was unhappy with Ricky Rai who had refused to give him a site, which Muthappa Rai had promised long ago.
“Senior Rai, for some reason, did not fulfil his promise and passed away. Vittal decided to continue with the family as asked by Ricky and his elder brother Rocky. Vittal reminded Ricky of the promise made by senior Rai to give him a site. According to Vittal, Ricky promised him that a site would be given to him. However, five years passed, and as the former gunman saw no signs of getting it, he raised the issue with Ricky again. But this time, Ricky spoke in such a manner that Vittal thought he would not get a site,” a source close to the investigation said.
To strengthen the cops’ theory on Vittal, CCTV footage of the bungalow shows Vittal sneaking through the back door post-midnight and walking back in a hurry after the shooting took place. The time he walked out and returned matched the time when the shooting took place (12:50am Saturday).
“Also, one of the strong suspects in the case, with his name mentioned in the FIR, revealed the site issue, suspecting that it could be the same ex-gunman behind the act,” police sources said.
Ramanagara superintendent of police Srinivas Gowda said, “We have taken the former gunman into 10-day custody for questioning. We have sent the bullet recovered from the crime scene to the forensic science laboratory. Also, we have seized seven guns and sent them to the FSL. Soon, we will know from which gun the shot was fired.
“The prime suspect mentioned in the FIR and a realtor have been questioned. Accused no. 2 and 4 have sought time to appear before us,” he said.