70mm Bullet's Deadly Whisper: Is the Top Police Brass Clueless in the Rai Attack?

On April 18, 2025, Bengaluru was rocked by a violent attack on Ricky Rai, son of the late underworld figure Muthappa Rai, near his Bidadi farmhouse in Ramanagara district. Gunfire, including a reported 70mm bullet that pierced Rai’s SUV, left him and his driver injured. 

This audacious shootout is not a standalone crime but a glaring symptom of a faltering police system, crippled by the lack of focus from department heads and politicians preoccupied with power struggles. 

The misallocation of efficient officers to tasks like training for Left-Right March Past, managing infrastructure, or monitoring emergency calls—rather than fieldwork—further weakens law enforcement. 

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This governance failure risks turning Bengaluru into a haven for organized crime once again. This article explores the 70mm bullet, systemic police lapses, and the governance issues driving Bengaluru’s underworld resurgence.

The Shootout and the 70mm Bullet

The attack unfolded between 1:00 and 1:30 AM as Rai traveled from Bidadi to Bengaluru in his Fortuner SUV, accompanied by a gunman and driver, Basavaraju. Assailants, hidden behind a compound wall, opened fire, with one bullet penetrating the vehicle’s door, injuring Rai’s nose and arm. Initial reports, such as one from Udayavani, describe the weapon as a “shotgun believed to be a 70mm weapon,” a term that has caused confusion.

The “70mm bullet” is likely a misreported term. In firearms, 70mm typically refers to the length of a shotgun shell, such as a 12-gauge 2¾-inch shell, not a bullet’s caliber (not size or type of bullet). These shells can contain slugs (a single large projectile) or shot (multiple smaller pellets). 

A 12-gauge 70mm slug, capable of piercing a vehicle door, fits the attack’s description, given its close-range power. Some reports mention a “powerful long-range gun,” but 70mm is not a standard rifle caliber, suggesting either a reporting error or a modified firearm. Without forensic details, which the police have not released, the weapon is likely a 12-gauge shotgun with a 70mm slug, easily sourced from India’s illicit arms market.

Definitions :

1.12-gauge: Refers to the size of the shotgun. A 12-gauge is one of the most common and powerful types of shotguns.

2.70mm: This is the length of the shotgun shell (also called the cartridge). 70mm equals 2.75 inches — a standard size.

3.Slug: A single, solid bullet-like projectile (unlike pellets in typical shotgun shells). It’s designed for high impact.

4. Capable of piercing a vehicle door: This slug is powerful enough to go through metal, such as a car door.

5.Fits: Means this type of slug can be loaded into and used with a standard 12-gauge shotgun that accepts 70mm shells.

6. A shotgun is a type of long gun designed to be fired from the shoulder. It is commonly used for hunting, self-defense, and law enforcement.

Here are some key points:

Fires shells, not bullets: These shells can contain either many small pellets (called shot) or a single large projectile (called a slug).

Short range: Shotguns are powerful at close distances but lose accuracy and power over longer distances.

Wide spread: When using pellets, the shot spreads out, making it easier to hit a target without precise aim — useful in close combat or bird hunting.

Example:

A 12-gauge shotgun firing a slug can stop a target or even penetrate a car door, making it deadly at close range.

A Police System Hamstrung by Misplaced Priorities

The Ricky Rai shootout lays bare the inefficiencies of Bengaluru’s police force, driven by a lack of focus from department heads and politicians fixated on political power. The police response has been weak: an FIR was filed against four suspects—Rakesh Malli, Anuradha (Rai’s stepmother), Nitesh Shetty, and the Niketan Trust—based on the driver’s complaint. 

Yet, the investigation lacks momentum, with no confirmed underworld connections and a heavy reliance on reviewing CCTV footage. This reactive stance highlights a systemic failure to prioritize proactive crime prevention.

Compounding the issue, efficient police officers are diverted from fieldwork to tasks like training recruits for Left-Right March Past drills, managing infrastructure (cars, vans, wireless systems), or monitoring 112 emergency calls. These duties, while important, sideline skilled personnel who could be patrolling high-risk areas like Bidadi or dismantling criminal networks. 

Bengaluru’s police force, serving a city of over 12 million, is stretched thin, with a low police-to-citizen ratio. Diverting capable officers to administrative or training roles weakens the force’s ability to maintain peace. The failure to prevent an ambush in a semi-rural area like Bidadi, where Rai’s SUV was vulnerable, points to inadequate patrolling and intelligence gaps.

The unchecked flow of illegal firearms is another police failure. Shotguns, like the one likely used, are accessible through black markets due to lax enforcement. 

Department heads have not prioritized arms control or intelligence operations targeting smuggling networks, leaving Bengaluru exposed to such attacks. Suspicions of an “insider’s involvement,” as noted by investigators, raise concerns about corruption or leaks within the system, further undermining trust.

Bengaluru’s Underworld Threat and Governance Failures

Bengaluru’s underworld, once dominated by figures like Muthappa Rai through extortion and real estate rackets in the 1980s and 1990s, is showing signs of resurgence. 

The attack on his son suggests unresolved feuds, possibly tied to family disputes or business rivalries, with suspects like Rai’s stepmother and a former associate indicating complex motives.

This incident signals that organized crime is regaining ground, fueled by governance failures that prioritize political games over public safety.

Department heads and politicians, distracted by power struggles, have neglected urban security. Bengaluru’s real estate boom attracts criminal elements, with land disputes often resolved through violence, paving the way for new criminal players. 

Suburbs like Bidadi, lacking proper lighting and police presence, are becoming lawless zones ideal for ambushes. The government’s failure to invest in surveillance, rapid-response teams, or community policing leaves these areas vulnerable.

The misallocation of efficient officers is a critical misstep. Instead of leading field operations to restore peace, these officers are stuck training march past drills, managing logistics, or overseeing emergency call systems. This reflects a lack of strategic vision, where maintaining political control overshadows crime prevention. 

Resource diversion to populist schemes has also starved law enforcement of funding, leaving the police understaffed and ill-equipped to tackle sophisticated crime syndicates.

A Call for Urgent Reform

The Ricky Rai shootout is a warning of Bengaluru’s precarious state. To prevent the city from becoming an underworld hub, the government must act swiftly. 

First, department heads must refocus on crime prevention, deploying efficient officers to fieldwork rather than training march past or managing infrastructure. Specialized units with advanced forensics and intelligence are vital.

Second, rigorous arms control and crackdowns on illegal weapons markets are needed to stem the flow of guns like the one used in the attack. 

Third, urban security investments—CCTV networks, enhanced patrolling, and community policing—must be prioritized to secure areas like Bidadi.

The 70mm bullet, likely a shotgun slug, pierced more than a vehicle; it exposed the fragility of Bengaluru’s governance and police system. If department heads and politicians continue to prioritize power over duty, the city risks descending into a playground for criminal networks. Action is needed now to restore peace and prevent more gunfire from echoing through Bengaluru’s streets.

(Girish Linganna is an award-winning science writer and a defence, aerospace and political analyst based in Bengaluru. He is also Director of ADD Engineering Components India Pvt. Ltd., a subsidiary of ADD Engineering GmbH, Germany. He can be contacted at girishlinganna@gmail.com)