The Hindu : Karnataka / Bangalore News : Watchman murdered, temple looted Crime notes

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Tuesday, Jan 01, 2008
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Karnataka

Karnataka - Bangalore

Watchman murdered, temple looted Crime notes

Special Correspondent

Looking for clues: A police officer on Monday inspecting the ‘hundi’ at Sri Shanimahatma temple on Uttarahalli Main Road where a watchman was murdered and cash stolen.

BANGALORE: Armed men murdered the watchman of the Sri Shanimahatma temple on Uttarahalli Main Road in the early hours of Monday and looted cash from the “hundi” (offertory).

The police said the assailants had smashed the watchman’s head with a boulder before entering the temple situated at Chikkakallasandra. The intruders had taken away the cash from the “hundi” after cutting its locks with a hacksaw. They made away only with the currency notes and abandoned the coins on the temple premises.

The police gave the name of the watchman as Mare Gowda (55), an employee of a private security agency and a native of Kodihalli in Kanakapura taluk of Ramanagara district. He used to be on duty at the temple from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m.

The junior priest, Sripada Bhat, who came to the temple around 7 a.m., found that the watchman had not opened the locks of the gate. He called Mare Gowda to open the locks. When the watchman did not respond even after 10 minutes, Mr. Bhat jumped the compound and found Mare Gowda lying dead in a pool of blood with his head smashed. On noticing that the intruders had smashed the “hundi” and also attempted to break the locks of the sanctum sanctorum, Mr. Bhat informed the chief priest, Shashishekar, and also the temple trustee.

The police, who rushed to the spot, found that the robbers had left a chopper, an iron rod and a hacksaw blade near the “hundi”. According to the temple trustee, they open the “hundi” every Monday and the weekly collection would be around Rs. 5,000. The Subramanyapura police have registered a case.

Attacked

A labourer was seriously injured after two unidentified men stabbed him in the chest following an altercation in Adugodi police station limits on Sunday night.

The police said Prabhu (37), a resident of Krishnappa Layout in Koramangala, has been admitted to the Bowring Hospital and he is critical.

Around 8.30 p.m., Prabhu was entering a bar and restaurant on 80-Foot Road, Adugodi, when two inebriated men, who were standing at the entrance of the bar, picked a quarrel with Prabhu and stabbed him with a knife when he asked them to clear the way for him, the police said.

The Adugodi police have registered a case of attempt to murder.

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