5 arrested for murder of three priests, three accused injured in a shootout

Mandya: The Mandya district police on Monday arrested five accused for the murder of three priests at Arkeswara temple in Guththalu on Mandya city outskirts.

The arrest comes three days after three priests of Sri Arakeshwara Swamy Temple in Guttalu on the outskirts of Mandya were found murdered early on Friday morning. Ganesh, 55, Prakash, 58, and Anand, 40, were lying in a pool of blood on the temple premises while the 'hundi' boxes were ransacked.

Three accused were arrested after police shot at and injured them in self-defence when they attacked the police at Saadolalu village on Maddur-Malavalli road while trying to escape at a bus stop. Two accused were arrested on Sunday in Srirangpatna.

Based on the information provided by the two accused, the police on Sunday midnight arrested three more accused who were sleeping at a bus shelter near Saadolalu cross. The accused tried to escape by attacking the police with knives and stones. In an act of self-defence, the police stated that they had to shoot at the three accused who received injuries in their legs.

Three cops too were injured when the accused attacked them, IGP (Southern Range ) Vipul Kumar stated.

All the five accused are stated to be daily wage workers who are involved in various inter-district temple 'hundi' dacoity offences. The police seized Rs 1.75 lakh from the two accused although Rs Rs 5 lakh was missing from the temple 'hundi' (cash collection box).

The police are on the look-out for four other accused for the murder of three priests.

The arrested were identified as 22-year-old Abhi, 20-year-old Raghu, both natives of Santhemala of Srirangpatna taluk, Mandya district.

Among three arrested on Sunday night, 28-year-old Vijay alias Viji is a native of Rederipalli, Chandragiri mandala, Chittoor district in Andhra Pradesh, 25-year-old Manju is a native of Subbarayanapalya of Ramanagar district in Karnataka, both were residing in K Honnalagere of Maddur taluk in Mandya district. Another accused Chandra alias Gandhi is native of Hugenahalli of Ramanagar district and was residing at Arekaldoddi in Maddur taluk in Mandya district.

The accused had brutally murdered the three priests, including Ganesh, Prakash and Anand while they were sleeping at the Arkeshwarta temple premises in Guththalu on Mandya city outskirts. The three priests were guarding the temple when the accused smashed their head with iron rods on Friday night.

The accused had broken open the temple lock and decamped with cash from three 'hundis' (cash collection boxes). They later left the empty boxes outside the temple and escaped. They left the silver sheets attached to Lord Arkeswara. Case under Section 396 and 302 of IPC were registered against the five accused.