Daijiworld Media Network - Beltangady (RD)
 
Beltangady, May 9: A toddy shop-keeper was allegedly slain with lethal weapons near Dharmasthala on Monday May 7.
 
The deceased has been identified as 52-year-old Sasiyendran, a native of Boliyaru, in Dharmasthala gram panchayat. He owned a toddy shop at Kudrya, near here. He was slain by unidentified assailants wielding swords while returning from his shop.
 
Sasiyendran is the son of Divakar and Ponnamma. He is survived by his wife Mallika and two daughters—fifteen-years-old Akshita and eight-year-old Anupriya.

Sasiyendran used to return home by 9.30 pm daily, and when he did not return even till 10.30 pm, his wife Mallika called his mobile which kept ringing. She called Neelayya, who owned a shop adjacent to Sasiyendran’s shop. Neelayya said that Sasiyendran left the shop at the usual time.

A worried Mallika then informed Sasiyendran’s brother thinking that her husband might have been involved in a road accident, as he was riding a two-wheeler that he bought two months ago. Sasiyendran’s brother left in his automobile towards Dharmasthala and found Sasiyendran’s dead body lying in a pool of blood just 200 mts away on the road, and his two-wheeler nearby.
 
ASP Anuchet, circle inspector Bhaskar Rai, sub-inspector Yogish Kumar, and ASP Prabhakar visited the spot on Tuesday May 8.
 
The assailants had been waiting in ambush on the road by laying the dry branches of a tree mounted on a few boulders. It was certain that the assailants waited for sometime, passing time smoking as many bits of cigarettes and a packet with just one cigarette was found at the spot. The knife that Sasiyendran always carried with him was found with holder and the metal missing. Sasiyendran was slain by swords, knives, and smashing of his skull by boulders. His head was ruptured beyond recognition and an arm was separated from the body, which indicates that he fought with the assailants for some time.
 
The police arrived at the spot at 11.50 pm on Monday, and suspect that the killing took place between 9.15 pm to 9.30 pm.
 
Sasiyendran was an influential person in the neighbourhood and was supplying labourers and arranging trucks for sand mining contractor Joy. He was also involved in selling liquor besides his usual trade in toddy. The enmity over liquor business and his hold over sand mining might have led to his killing. The locals knew that he would be carrying Rs 50,000 when returning home and the money factor could have led to the killing, suspect the police.

Dharmasthala police have begun the investigations.