Priest's murder: Brothers sentenced to life term

A local court in Bangalore Rural district awarded life imprisonment to two brothers for murdering a temple priest in Hebbugodi in 2011 and making off with valuables from the temple.

The Bangalore Rural third additional and district sessions court judge, V V Mallapur, found Nagesh Kumar 30, and Venkatesh, 48, brothers from Kanakapura, guilty and sentenced them to life imprisonment. The court also slapped a fine of Rs three lakh on them and awarded an additional three years of rigorous imprisonment for default of payment.

According to the police, the brothers shifted to Hebbagodi in search of jobs. They stayed at a farmhouse of their owner as they were employed there for a construction work. They hatched a conspiracy to commit theft at a nearby temple.

They went to Rajapura Mutt, but could not succeed as those inside the temple were alerted after dogs started barking. Later, they went to the Shani Mahatma temple on the outskirts of the village.

Puttappa, 70, the temple priest, and his son Veerabhadra, 27, were fast asleep. They got up after they heard the brothers breaking open the locks of the door. The accused attacked the, duo with sticks.

Veerabhadra escaped and ran towards the village to inform residents, police said. He, along with some villagers, rushed to the temple and found Puttappa lying in a pool of blood.
He was rushed to a nearby hospital, but died on the way, police said. The brothers were July 27, 2011.