JOIN USA Congress leader and his associates clubbed a financier to death at Challaghatta village in Bengaluru South taluk on Tuesday night.
The victim Ranganath (45) was a resident of Muneshwara Block in Girinagar. Nagaraj alias Appaji Gowda, a local Congress leader, is said to have carried out the attack through his associates, said the police.
Ranganath had lent about Rs 20,000 to Gowda when he had contested the Zilla Panchayat elections. Despite repeated requests, Gowda had failed to return the money, said the police.
On Tuesday evening, Ranganath met Gowda at Challaghatta and demanded the money back. The duo quarreled and Ranganath vowed to take revenge and went away. “Ranganath came back with his associates and tried to attack Gowda. Somashekhar, Gowda’s relative, intervened and sustained injuries in the attack,” said the Kumbalgodu police.
Soon, Gowda’s men gathered at the spot in large numbers and retaliated. While Ranganath’s associates managed to escape, Gowda’s men chased Ranganath and attacked him with cricket bats and sticks.
Shifted to hospital
On being informed, the police reached the village and shifted Ranganath to a private hospital where he succumbed to injuries in the wee hours of Wednesday.
The police have launched a hunt for the attackers.