Jilted lover goes on rampage in south Bengaluru, torches 3 cars & damages bike

BENGALURU: Three cars were set on fire and one motorbike badly damaged in south Bengaluru, in what is suspected to be an act of vengeance by a jilted lover. The incident took place after midnight on Saturday, in the limits of Channamanakere Achhukaatu and Subramanyapura police stations.
Two of the three cars were gutted and belonged to the girl's parents, while the motorbike belonged to her elder brother. The third car was parked next to one of the cars targeted.
The suspect is Rahul alias Star Rahul, a history-sheeter in his late 20s from Hanumanth Nagar. According to police, Rahul, a cabbie by profession, faces 18 criminal cases, including for attempted murder, drug peddling, and robbery. A close associate of another history-sheeter, Kullu Rizwan, Rahul had been shot in the legs by the cops in Jan 2022 when he tried to attack the men in uniform who had come to arrest him.
While setting the cars on fire, Rahul and his gang allegedly broke the windows, opened the doors, and used the interior materials to set the vehicles ablaze, police said.
According to preliminary investigation, Rahul was in love with the girl, Ragini (name changed), a final-year undergraduate student. She is said to have distanced herself from him a while ago.
Rahul and three of his associates went on three bikes to Ragini's father's house around 12.30am Sunday. He is said to have called out to the girl's father and her elder brother and accused them of influencing Ragini to distance herself from him. He also allegedly assaulted the brother.
"Then, Rahul and his associates set Ragini's father's car, parked outside the house, on fire and damaged the motorbike of her elder brother. From there, the gang rode to an apartment in Arehalli, Subramanyapura, where Ragini and her mother lived.
Rahul made futile attempts to communicate with Ragini. Then, he and his associates set Ragini's mother's car, parked in the basement of the apartment, on fire and fled. The flames extended to another parked car.
Apartment occupants rushed out and doused the fire, but by then Ragini's mother's car was completely damaged. Rahul assaulted the apartment's watchman when he tried to stop him," an investigating officer said.
Police said the girl's brother and the owner of the third car have lodged separate complaints, and a hunt is on for the accused and his pals.