Bengaluru: Sandalwood actor ‘Duniya’ Vijay and his three accomplices have been arrested by the High Ground Police here last night on charges of assaulting and kidnapping a gym trainer.

Actor Vijay was arrested for allegedly assaulting gym trainer Maruthi Gowda at a body-building competition at Dr. Ambedkar Bhavan in Vasanthnagar and abducting him from the venue.

Maruthi Gowda, who is being treated for his injuries at a private hospital, is the nephew of Vijay’s friend-turned-rival Krishnamurthy alias Pani Puri Kitty. Three others, including the actor’s driver and his personal trainer, were also arrested on similar charges.

The High Ground Police, who registered cases under Sections 323 (assault), 362 (kidnap), 506 (criminal intimidation) and 342 (wrongful confinement) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), produced them before a Magistrate at his residence late last night, who remanded them to 14-day judicial custody.

According to sources, the reason for Maruthi’s alleged assault is the feud between Kitty and Vijay.

“The unfortunate tragedy on the set of Maasthi Gudi that led to the death of two actors was the trigger for Kitty to distance himself from Vijay,” sources said and added that the two have since not been in touch, despite being thick friends once.

According to the Police, Maruthi Gowda and Vijay got into an argument at the body-building competition, which devolved into a brawl. Vijay and his associates allegedly assaulted Maruthi Gowda and dragged him into a car.

The victim said that he was thrashed in the moving car which was headed towards Nayandahalli junction, said the Police. They allegedly forced him to confess that he had started the fight, and recorded his statement on a cellphone.

When Maruthi’s uncle Pani Puri Kitty learnt about the incident, he filed a complaint with the High Grounds Police, who called Vijay on his cell phone and asked him to report to the Police Station.

Meanwhile, tension prevailed near the Police Station when the actor arrived along with Maruthi Gowda.

A KSRP platoon was deployed to contain the situation. The Police detained Vijay, his chauffeur, and his personal trainer identified as Prasad and Mani for questioning while Maruthi Gowda was admitted to a private hospital.

The Court is expected to hear the case this afternoon.

Vijay’s first wife lodges complaint against second wife

Alleging that ‘Duniya’ Vijay’s second wife Keerthi Gowda had let loose bouncers to assault her when she (Nagarathna) had gone to the actor’s house to see her son, Vijay’s first wife Nagarathna has lodged a complaint at Girinagar Police Station yesterday. It is said that Nagarathna, who learnt about assault charges on Vijay, also came to know that her son Samrat was with Vijay when the incident took place and so she went to the house to enquire about it, when Keerthi Gowda allegedly left the bouncers on her.

The Cops are said to have summoned both of them to the Police Station and conducted an enquiry.