Bengaluru: Panic gripped Agrahara Dasarahalli on Sunday morning after an armed, six-member gang hacked to death a 64-year-old school principal in broad daylight on the school premises under Magadi Road police limits.
The deceased, Ranganath Nayaka, a resident of Housing Board Colony near Rajajinagar, was a retired RBI employee, and had started Havanur Public School in 2003 after his retirement.
On Sunday morning, he was sitting in his chamber along with two others and was allegedly discussing a property dispute when the gang attacked him around 10 am.
The police identified four of the assailants as Prasad, Shrinivas, Muniraj alias Babli, and Mahesh. The investigation revealed that Nayaka and school administrative staff had called a meeting with one Rajashekar.
Babli, the accused
As they were discussing the property issue, the gang barged into his office and attacked him. Lokesh Gowda, an administration employee, and Yathish, an assistant, who rushed to help him, too were attacked. The two sustained stab injuries and were rushed to a nearby hospital.
Was it a contract murder?
The police said that Nayaka had bought the land to build the school in 2003. The land also had a portion of a house belonging to one Gangamma.
Nayaka had approached a court and got a demolition order recently. Two days ago, BDA officials with police protection demolished the portion of the house. “Gangamma’s sons, Prasad and Mahesh, were in a bitter battle with Nayaka over the land. Angry that their house was demolished, they allegedly planned to eliminate Nayaka and gave a supari to Babli’s gang, which has several cases of murder registered against them,” a police officer told Deccan Chronicle.
But the police are yet to ascertain the angle of contract murder and are questioning Babli. A case has been registered at the Mahalaxmi Layout police station.
