Bantwal: Murderous Assault on Temple Priest Shocks Villagers
Daijiworld Media Network – Bantwal (SP)
Bantwal, Oct 19: A gang of unidentified persons entered a house by breaking open the front door of the residence of Dinesh alias Anantapadmanabha Bhat (51) and inflicted fatal injuries on him with the help of a scythe. The incident occurred in the wee hours of Tuesday October 18.
Bhat is the priest of Kadeshivalaya Lord Lakshminarasimha temple, and his house is located adjacent to the temple.
Bhat, who woke up to the cracking sound of the breaking of the doors of his house at around 2.30 am on Tuesday, was sitting on the bed, as he was in deep sleep and unable to see anything in the dark. Someone swished a scythe at him, leaving a deep gash on his forehead. The dim silhouette of the person who swung his scythe at Bhat could be seen, but Bhat failed to identify him.
Bhat’s wife, Manorama, cried for help, at which the gang members fled away. The family members then passed on information to the police and neighbours. Bhat was carried in an ambulance to a private hospital in Mangalore for treatment.
It was found that the assaulters had removed four electric bulbs from the outer precincts of the temple to ensure that their movements are not watched. A bulb burning at the portico of the priest’s house had also been removed. It looked as if the people in the gang were known persons, and they had taken care to ensure that the concerned do not get to look at their faces.
The fact that nothing has gone missing proves that the attackers wanted to kill Bhat. The sniffer dog lost its way after leading the policemen for some distance in the field. Fingerprint experts visited the spot and collected information. No motive could be attributed to the act, as Bhat does not seem to be having any misunderstandings or differences with anyone. The locals, who were taken aback by the incident could throw no light either, and perceived that the police may have to wait till Bhat recovers fully, before they can make any headway in the case.
District additional superintendent of police, Prabhakar, and circle inspector, Anil S Kulkarni, visited the spot. Under their guidance, a case was registered in Bantwal rural police station. Sub-inspector of police, M R M Tahsildar, has taken up investigation.