A 40-year-old man was allegedly killed inside a temple premises in Belagavi district after a dispute over the return of a mobile phone
A man was allegedly murdered inside the Lakshmi Temple premises in Chikkabudanur village of Belagavi district following a dispute over a mobile phone. Police arrested the accused within hours of the incident and have launched an investigation into the case.
Belagavi: A dispute over the return of a mobile phone allegedly ended in murder in Karnataka's Belagavi district, where a 40-year-old man was killed inside a temple premises on Saturday. Police have arrested the accused, who is reported to be the victim's friend, and initiated further investigation.
The incident occurred in Chikkabudanur village of Savadatti taluk, where the victim was allegedly attacked while sleeping in the premises of the Lakshmi Temple.
Mobile Phone Dispute Led to Temple Murder in Belagavi
The deceased has been identified as Fakirappa Piddennavar (40), a resident of Chikkabudanur village. Police identified the accused as Mallikarjuna Poojeri, who was reportedly acquainted with the victim.
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According to preliminary information, Fakirappa had taken Mallikarjuna's mobile phone two days before the incident. Despite repeated requests, the phone was allegedly not returned.
Police said the accused had approached Fakirappa several times seeking the return of his mobile phone. On the day of the incident, Fakirappa reportedly assured him that the phone would be returned later in the evening.
Police said the alleged motive behind the crime was a dispute over the return of a mobile phone.
Victim Allegedly Attacked Inside Lakshmi Temple Premises
Investigators said Fakirappa was sleeping in the Lakshmi Temple premises on Saturday evening when the accused allegedly confronted him once again over the mobile phone.
According to the police, Fakirappa reportedly told the accused that he would return the phone later that night. The accused allegedly became angry, picked up a heavy stone kept in the temple premises, and struck Fakirappa on the head.
The victim sustained severe head injuries and died at the scene.
After the alleged assault, the accused fled the location before local residents discovered the victim lying in a pool of blood and alerted the police.
The victim died at the spot after sustaining severe head injuries, police said.
Murugoda Police Arrest Accused Within Hours
Following information from local residents, officers from Murugoda Police Station reached the scene, conducted a preliminary inspection, and shifted the body for post-mortem examination after completing legal formalities.
Police launched a search operation soon after the incident and arrested the accused within a few hours while he was allegedly attempting to hide.
The Murugoda police have registered a case and are continuing the investigation to establish the complete sequence of events surrounding the murder.
