Daijiworld Media Network - Mandya (SP)

Mandya, Dec 25: Miscreants who arrived in two-wheelers, intercepted a car in which JD(S) leader, Prakash (48) was travelling near the travellers bungalow at Maddur in the district and hacked him to death. The incident happened at around 4.10 am on Monday December 24. The killers apparently were backed by past enmity and trying to settle political scores.

Prakash happened to be a JD(S) leader and husband of former zila panchayat president, Lalitha Prakash. Prakash was accompanied in the car by two others identified as Moganna and Vinay but the attackers did not inflict any harm to them. After the attack, Prakash, who was lying in a pool of blood, was taken in the same car to K Gurushantappa memorial government hospital but Prakash had died before he could be treated.

As the news spread, JD(S) activists from various places including K Honnalagere, Toppanahalli and Maddur town rushed to the said hospital and expressed anger at the murder. Toppalagere, which had witnessed clashes between two warring groups during which two persons were killed in the year 2016, has again been witnessing an environment of hostility on account of this murder. The police patrolling which had been introduced following the said murders, had recently been withdrawn. Now a contingent of Karnataka State Reserve Police has been deployed in the village.

An angry mob held protest near the travellers bungalow on Mysuru - Bengaluru highway, demanding immediate arrest of the killers. As the protest lasted for over an hour vehicles using the highway suffered as traffic block occurred. Mandya MP, L R Shivarame Gowda, rushed to the spot, and shed tears at the death of the party leader. He instructed the district superintendent of police not to leave any stone unturned in the effort to catch hold of the culprits. He also pleaded with the party activists to remain calm.