Bengaluru lawyer's death linked to auto-rickshaw fare clash, now a murder inquiry
A 43-year-old Bengaluru advocate died after a dispute with an auto-rickshaw driver, and police have opened a murder investigation.
Sri Ram, a 43-year-old lawyer from Kengunte, was discovered unconscious on Nagarabavi Outer Ring Road on the morning of October 9 and died later that day at a private hospital. Although his death was first attributed to a heart attack, his relatives noticed bruises and requested a post-mortem, which identified a cerebral blood clot as the cause. Police investigations traced the incident to a fare dispute with auto-rickshaw driver Pruthviraj Appajigowda of Gollarahatti, who allegedly followed and assaulted Sri Ram near the Ambedkar Institute of Technology in Mallathahalli.
The driver has been arrested, and authorities are seeking other motorists who were present. Additional inquiries focus on allegations that the victim’s mobile phone and cash were stolen after the assault.
Why it matters
The case shows how a routine fare dispute escalated into a fatal assault, prompting a murder probe and raising concerns about street-level violence.
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