The police have cracked an attempted contract killing case in Periyapatna and arrested seven accused, including the complainant’s uncle, who was allegedly the mastermind behind the plot.

Superintendent of Police Mallikarjun Baladandi said two masked assailants riding a motorcycle attacked complainant Praveen Kumar with a long machete in the Periyapatna Police Station limits on April 13 at around 6.45 p.m. in an alleged attempt to murder him.

Kumar sustained grievous injuries in the attack and subsequently lodged a complaint with the police. On April 21, while he was travelling on a two-wheeler near a lake in Hitnahalli village on the State highway, a car allegedly rammed his vehicle from behind.

The complainant, who reported the incident to the police, expressed suspicion that his maternal uncle, Saude Raju, 57, a timber merchant residing in Bettadapura village of Periyapatna taluk, had orchestrated the accident with the intention of eliminating him.

Treating both incidents seriously, the police formed a special investigation team led by Hunsur Division Deputy Superintendent of Police Ravi to trace those involved.

During interrogation, Raju allegedly revealed that he had hired Shafi, a resident of Sullia, to kill his nephew over a property dispute for a contract amount of ₹7 lakh. The police said Shafi admitted during questioning that the accident was part of the murder conspiracy.

The police said that sustained interrogation of Raju revealed that he had separately hired Meer Hussain Ali alias Sultan, a resident of Shivappa Layout in Periyapatna town, for ₹30 lakh to murder Kumar.

When Sultan was taken into custody and questioned, the investigators found that he had allegedly approached Hunsur Town rowdy-sheeter Nayaz Ahmed. The duo are said to have engaged rowdies Abid Pasha, Ayaz Pasha and Ameenulla, all residents of Mysuru and allegedly involved in 12 criminal cases, including six murder cases, to execute the murder plot.

During the interrogation, Abid and Ayaz allegedly confessed to attempting to murder Kumar on April 13.

The police have arrested Raju, Shafi, Ali, Ahmed, Abid, Ayaz, and Ameenulla. The police have also seized mobile phones, a car, a motorcycle, the machete used in the attack, and ₹10,000 in cash.

Mr. Baladandi and Additional Superintendent of Police C. Mallik have appreciated the investigation carried out by the special team comprising Periyapatna inspector Govindaraju M.V., Bylakuppe Circle Inspector Deepak M.K., Periyapatna sub-inspector Jagadish B.H., Bettadapura sub-inspector Ajay Kumar D.N., Bylakuppe sub-inspector Ravikumar and others.