The Hindu : Karnataka / Bangalore News : Gram panchayat president murdered

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, Oct 09, 2006
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Karnataka

Karnataka - Bangalore

Gram panchayat president murdered

Staff Reporter

Political rivalry is said to be the reason for the murder Political rivalry is said to be the reason; tension in Doddakallasandra village

BANGALORE: President of Doddakallasandra Gram Panchayat B.M. Muniswamy (37) was hacked to death allegedly by his rivals near Gubbalala in Talaghattpura police station limits here on Sunday.

The murder sparked off tension at Doddakallasandra village on Kanakapura Road where Mr. Muniswamy supporters blocked the road for hours and burnt tyres. However, the police brought the situation under control.

While Gubbalala comes under Bangalore Rural district, Doddakallasandra comes under Subramanyapura police station limits in the city.

Mr. Muniswamy, a member of the Janata Dal (Secular), was elected president last month. He and his partymen were on their way to polling booths in Kaggalipura Zilla Panchayat constituency, where a byelection was held on Sunday.

Mr. Muniswamy rivals intercepted his vehicle near a farm and attacked him and the others with weapons. While Mr. Muniswamy died on the spot, a few of his supporters sustained injuries.

Mr. Muniswamy's family and the villagers accused Srinivas alias Kulla Seena and his brothers Timmarayi and Lakshminarayana of perpetrating the crime. They said that Srinivas, who was also a contender to the post, had openly threatened to finish off Mr. Muniswamy if the latter got elected. Villagers said that after murdering Muniswamy, Srinivas and others came to the village and declared that they had committed the murder. Muniswamy's parents Male Byrappa and Puttamma pleaded with the district in-charge Minister R. Ashok, who visited them, not to allow the accused go unpunished.

Villagers said the accused had been a terror in the village. They also that the police were lenient towards Srinivas. Nagaraj, brother-in-law of Mr. Muniswamy told The Hindu that the victim had a clean record. According to Deputy Commissioner of Police (South), Alok Kumar, the police had entered Srinivas' name in the rowdy sheet.

Talaghattpura police have registered a case of murder and are investigating. It was learnt that the police had secured Srinivas for interrogation.

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