The double murders of two prominent IT executives in Bengaluru have been linked to a fierce competition between two broadband companies striving for market dominance, according to the initial investigation by the police.
Arun Kumar Azad, the owner of G-Net broadband firm, has been taken into custody by the Bengaluru Police on suspicion of providing a quotation to a gang responsible for carrying out the daylight murders of the Malayali CEO and the Managing Director of Aironics Media, an internet services company.
Arun was apprehended at the Bengaluru airport upon his return from Delhi. Prior to his arrest, three individuals, including the main suspect named ‘Joker’ Felix (27-year-old Shabareesh), had already been detained in connection with the double murder case. Two others, Vinay Reddy and Santhosh, were also taken into custody.
The victims, R Vinukumar, the CEO of Aeronix Media Internet Services Company, and Phanindra Subramanya, the Managing Director, were brutally attacked and killed at their office in Hebbal Kempapura. Vinukumar, originally from Kuzhimattam in Panachikkad, Kottayam, was also the second accused in a money chain fraud case involving Apple Tree in Kottayam.
According to the police, the motive behind the murders stemmed from a rivalry between two fiber net companies operating in the broadband industry. Phanindra and Vinukumar had established their own company after leaving G-Net, enticing their former colleagues to Aeronix with higher salaries. The introduction of affordable internet packages by Aeronix dealt a blow to G-Net, which is believed to have led to the decision to hire a hitman. Felix, the leader of the team involved in the murder, was also a former employee of Aeronix. Further investigation is being conducted into the animosity resulting from his termination from the company.
In addition to the murder case, Vinukumar was implicated in a chit fund scam known as the Apple Tree fraud in Kottayam back in 2013. The scam involved an alleged defrauding of Rs 36 crore collected under the guise of an Apple Tree chit fund from Kerala, Tamil Nadu, and Karnataka. Vinukumar held the position of executive director in the company during that time.
Interestingly, ‘Joker’ Felix, the prime suspect, had made a cryptic Instagram post after committing the murders. The note read, “The people of the earth are haughty and deceitful. I’ve hurt some bad people among them. No harm has been done to the good guys.” Felix shared news of the murder on Instagram around 10 pm while attempting to escape on a train. He is also known for running a YouTube channel called ‘JF Media,’ which features Kannada rap songs.
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