The Bengaluru police have arrested 16 people in connection with the murder of rowdy sheeter Shivaprakash in Bharathinagar last week, while two more, including the prime suspect Jagadish, is still at large.

Given the case has been transferred to the Criminal Investigation Department (CID), all the 16 were produced and remanded into judicial custody on Friday. The CID is expected to take over the case files on Saturday. If will also ask for police custody of required suspects after commencing investigation.

Shivakumar, 44, was brutally hacked to death by armed assailants near his house on Avenue Road in Bharathinagar on July 15. Days later, five people surrendered to the police. Subsequent investigations led to more arrests, taking the total number of arrested suspects to 16.

Shivaprakash’s mother, who filed the complaint, has alleged that BJP MLA Byrathi Basavaraj had a role in the murder of her son. The police have interrogated the MLA twice, who has been maintaining that he is innocent in the matter.

There are unconfirmed reports that the prime accused in the case Jagadish, still at large, has fled the country. However, the police declined to confirm the same.