Chikballapur: Six Suspected Thieves Set Afire, Three More Bludgeoned

Daijiworld Media Network – Chikballapur (SP)

Chikballapur, Aug 3: Two separate incidents that are linked to each other, which occurred in two different villages in Chintamani taluk in the district on Tuesday August 2, proved how frustrated the villagers are about the thieves who strike at will and go scot free. The taluk has been witnessing a spate of burglaries and thefts of late. All those killed were aged between 22 and 30, and were travelling in two Tata Sumo vehicles.

In the first incident that occurred at Muddalapalli village, some persons who came in a Tata Sumo vehicle, reportedly asked for directions from a villager named Tirumalamma (45). Even as she was replying to them, they snatched away her ornaments, gagged her, tied her to a tree and tried to flee.

The woman succeeded in removing the gag and raising an alarm. Those who were grazing sheep nearby came running, and chased the Tata Sumo vehicle, even as its driver struggled to identify the route to flee from the village. The villagers pulled all the five inmates out and hit them indiscriminately with clubs and other things, and three among them were killed on the spot. The policemen reached in time to save the other two, but both of them, who were admitted to NIMHANS Bangalore, are in a critical condition.

As the news spread, residents of Yeerragottahalli stopped another Tata Sumo vehicle which had six persons, and torched the vehicle. All the six were burnt alive. It is suspected that the killed people were from Bellur in Anantpur district, although their vehicles bore registration numbers of Bangalore. Some reports however, said that the n nine were members of the same group, and the six persons were fleeing when three among them were stopped by villagers on suspicion for questioning, when villagers torched their vehicle.

The identities of the deceased have yet to be established. Central range inspector general, Malini Krishnamurty, supervised the operations. Senior police officers including superintendent of police, D T Pawar, are camping in the area.