Mangalore: Was it Varun Gandhi or somebody closer to home like the Ram Sene's Pramod Muthalik - who was a potential target for underworld killer Rashid Malbari, arrested in Karnataka after a tip off from the Intelligence Bureau.
Police in the state do confirm that Rashid Malbari, who is believed to have entered the country from Nepal, did have violent plans against a politician.
The arrest of Chota Shakeel associate Rashid Malbari last Friday in Mangalore might just have helped to prevent a crime that would have added to the other murders laid at his door.
Malbari has evaded the law for 13 years and has an Interpol Red Corner notice against him. It is believed that this time, his intended victim was a politician.
"What they have told us is that they wanted to target some political leaders in Karnataka or elsewhere - wherever. The other information they have given is that they wanted to kidnap somebody rich so that they could get a good amount of ransom for their operations - plus of course for their own use," revealed Ajai Kumar Singh, Karnataka DGP.
When asked whether Varun Gandhi was the political target, Ajai responded, "He didn't say anything like that - he said there were one or two targets - it is also the question of perhaps wanting to finish a job that could be done faster and more easily. Judging by the team he had put together it looked as if they were planning a local job."
For the authorities who have been hunting down this man for years, for crimes in Karnataka as well, it is one less killer on the loose. But the alleged plot is a frightening reminder of the vulnerability of India's people - both ordinary and prominent.