The man who became famous for his coverage of the underworld was also embroiled in many controversies.
Noted Bengaluru-based journalist and writer Ravi Belagere passed away on Friday morning. He was 62 years old. According to sources, Ravi suffered a heart attack on Thursday night in the Hai Bangalore tabloid office. He was pronounced dead by Apollo Hospitals in Bengaluru, where he was admitted on Thursday night. He is survived by two sons, two daughters and his wife.
He ran the Kannada tabloid as editor-in-chief, which began in 1995. Ravi Belagere began his career as a history teacher at Ballari. He came to Bengaluru in 1984 and worked as a receptionist in an accommodation. He took on many low-paying jobs and worked in newspaper and milk distribution. Later he started working in a printing company. In 1995, he founded the Hai Bengaluru tabloid together with his partners RT Vittalmurty, Somnath, Jogi, and Sangam Dev.
Ravi Belagere’s tabloid became known for its extensive coverage of the Bengaluru underworld and the feared gangsters of Bengaluru. His tabloid volume, including Love Lavike, Khaas Baat, and Paapigala Lokadalli, became extremely popular. In the Paapigala Lokadalli column, he wrote about the inner workings of the underworld and the police force. Later he opened a magazine called O Manase, which also became a hit.
In addition to being a prominent journalist, Ravi is the author of 70 books. Among other works, his Kannada translation of ‘Himalayan Blunder’ enjoyed enduring popularity.
The popularity of his Paapigala Lokadalli column also led him to publish a two-part book of the same name that opened discussions about the underworld in Bengaluru. He also participated in the seventh season of Bigg Boss Kannada.
Controversies and a murder case
In 2017, he became embroiled in a controversy after the Karnataka Assembly sentenced him to one year in prison for alleged “defamatory writings” against Congress MLA BM Nagaraj and BJP MLA SR Viswanath.
At the time he had avoided arrest by being admitted to the Karnataka Institute of Medical Sciences in Hubballi.
Ravi and Anil Raju of Yelahanka Voice – were sentenced in June 2017 to one year in prison and fined 10,000 rupees each, by then-Karnataka Assembly Speaker KB Koliwad, a move that was criticized by many in the media . Both publishers were found guilty of privilege violation for publishing allegedly libelous articles against legislators. However, the editors obtained relief from the Karnataka High Court.
Later that year he was arrested by the Central Crime Branch in a separate incident for allegedly hiring a hitman to murder fellow journalist Sunil Heggaravalli. Later, the police had said they had found a double-barreled pistol and 41 rounds, deerskin, a 1.5×1.5-foot tortoise shell and a revolver and 53 rounds. In connection with the case, he had also spent many days in Parappana Agrahara Central Jail.
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