Revenge killing: Assailants pull man out of auto rickshaw, throw chilli powder into his eye and hack him to death in Mysuru

Mysuru: A man was hacked to death with lethal weapons by a gang during day time in the heart of Mysuru city on Tuesday.

The victim has been identified as Venkatesh alias Gilki (45), a resident of Kyathamaranahalli, in Mysuru city. He was into private finance business.

He was travelling in a car around 11.30 am near the Dasara Exhibition Grounds in front of Mysuru Palace, when his vehicle was intercepted by a gang of four or five persons, who arrived in an auto rickshaw.

On Tank Bund Road, near the Exhibition Grounds, the assailants threw chilli powder into the eyes of Venkatesh, pulled him out and attacked him. Despite being alone, he tried to defend himself. But he was attacked brutally, even as a few onlookers were stunned and shot photos and videos. The assailants fled the scene soon after.

A dog squad and forensic experts were pressed into service to gather evidence on the scene of crime. Police Commissioner Seema Latkar, DCPs R N Bindu Mani and K S Sundar Raj, Devaraja ACP Rajendra and Nazarbad Inspector Mahadevaswamy visited the spot. The Nazarbad police have registered a case.

Photos and videos of the assault and murder clicked by the onlookers have gone viral on social media. This might help the police to nab the assailants.

Police said old enmity may be the cause for the day light murder. Police suspect that the murder of Venkatesh is related to the murder of a history-sheeter Karthik of the same Kyathamaranahalli in the month of May. Karthik was killed in front of a hotel, near Varuna Lake on Mysuru-T Narsipur Road in Varuna village, on the outskirts of Mysuru city.

“Venkatesh is said to have had financial transactions with Karthik. There is also a suspicion that Venkatesh was involved in the murder plot of Karthik. The gang of youths, who supported Karthik, were closely following Venkatesh for a revenge. They would have followed Venkatesh from 9 am on Tuesday, after he left house,” the police said.