Irate mob ransacks lodge, sets it ablaze

An alleged act of revenge over the murder of a local realtor

Vishnu Lodge on Hosur Road near Narayana Hrudayalaya, was attacked at around 9.45 am by a mob as an ‘act of revenge’.

The mob was reportedly from a nearby village named Bannahalli and sought revenge for the murder of a local realtor Anand alias Babu Reddy on Tuesday night.

Police said the lodge was ransacked for about 20 minutes, with the mob breaking everything within sight. The mob also set the first two floors on fire.

The fire brigade reached the spot and extinguished the flames before they could cause further damage.  The inmates of the lodge, which included patients and relatives from Narayana Hrudalaya escaped unhurt after the fire brigade rescued them. Police said that beds and other items were damaged in the fire.

Background

Anand and the lodge owner Venkatesh were in a long standing feud, which recently showed signs of closure after the latter agreed to pay a one-time settlement of around Rs 50,000 in cash and a cheque of Rs 2 lakh. However, matters worsened after the cheque bounced.

Incidentally, the police had interrogated the lodge owner and a few others in connection with the murder on Wednesday after the charred remains of Anand’s body was found. Although, Venkatesh and his associates were released after the preliminary interrogation, the police summoned them again on Saturday for further interrogation.
The news of Anand’s murder, allegedly by Venkatesh and his accomplices, is said to have swept through the village of Bannahalli after the second interrogation.