Muthappa Rai, don of an era whose story was linked with Bengaluru's rise

Rai, 68, died on 15 May, after he lost the battle with cancer.

A hearse made its way slowly across Bengaluru on May 15, flanked by a convoy of SUVs and supporters showering flower petals along the route. Casual onlookers might have mistaken the dead man for a political leader, but it was in fact the funeral of former underworld don Muthappa Rai.

Rai, 68, had died earlier that day after he lost the battle with cancer. With him ended a life that was symptomatic of the dark side of Bengaluru’s often delirious growth to become the IT capital of the country.

This metamorphosis of the city was shadowed by Rai’s own life.