Pandavapura: A Gram Panchayat member was killed by a group people during a festival at a local temple in Chikkade village in Pandavapura taluk yesterday. 50-year-old Thimmegowda was hacked to death by a group in broad daylight in front of hundreds of people participating in the temple festival allegedly over an old enmity.

The accused have been identified as Anand alias Devegowda, Yogegowda, his son Madan and friends Kumar and Chandu. Along with Thimmegowda, APMC Member Swamygowda, Thimmegowda’s son Vinayaka and relatives Gowtham and Mahesh have been seriously injured.

According to eyewitnesses, the miscreants had accosted the victim when he was near the temple  during Goddess Deviramma festival. They picked up a fight with him over an old dispute. Soon, they  allegedly attacked him with lethal weapons and killed him on the spot.

Vinayaka, Gowtham, Mahesh and Swamygowda tried to save Thimmegowda and they too were attacked by miscreants. The injured are being treated at a hospital in Mysuru.  

According to a few residents, there was infighting in the village over organising the festival and Thimmegowda was targeted because he was the leader of a faction in the village. But Police and villagers said that more than factionalism, a long-standing family dispute between Thimmegowda and Yogegowda led to the murder.

Thimmegowda’s niece Sahana had married Yogegowda’s son Madan as they were in a relationship and the two families decided to get them married. Everything was hunky-dory in the beginning and according to Sahana’s family, Madan began to allegedly harass her for dowry. Fed up of daily harassment, Sahana allegedly left her husband’s place and came to her parents’ house.

Later, her family members and her in-laws met before village elders and it was decided to give Rs. 3 lakh as dowry and the money was allegedly paid to Madan’s family. Despite this, Madan’s family allegedly continued to harass Sahana for more money. After a few months, Sahana booked a Police complaint against Madan and his family members.

Following the dowry harassment case, Madan and his family members secured bail from the Court. Madan’s father Yogegowda had accused Thimmegowda of influencing Sahana’s family members to file the dowry harassment complaint.

The animosity grew and Yogegowda and his family members were allegedly waiting for an opportunity to settle scores with Thimmegowda and the opportunity came in the form of Goddess Deviramma festival where Thimmegowda was allegedly attacked.

A tense situation prevailed in the village amid heavy deployment of Police personnel. An FIR has been registered at Pandavapura Police Station. Yogegowda has been arrested and search is on for the other accused including some women, Police said.

Villagers alleged that there was absolute lack of Police security at yesterday’s Deviramma festival. In the past, security was provided in view of communal tension and factionalism in the village. But this year, only four Policemen were deployed and they too did not intervene when the attack on Thimmegowda happened, alleged villagers.

Mandya District Minister C.S. Puttaraju, Superintendent of Police Shivaprakash Devaraj visited the Mandya District Hospital.