Two temple watchmen killed in TN, cash offering robbed, parties condemn gruesome incident

Virudhunagar (Tamil Nadu), Nov 11 (PTI) Two guards at a temple in Rajapalayam in the district were hacked to death and cash from the hundi (offering box) was stolen, police said on Tuesday.

The double murder triggered political outrage in the state, with parties criticising the police and demanding the immediate arrest of the culprits.

Police had to pacify the victims' relatives, who had gathered in front of the temple, and assured them of stringent action against the accused.

A senior official said special teams have been formed to trace and arrest the culprits, who had also damaged CCTV cameras in the temple and taken away the digital video recorder (DVR).

A guard on the morning shift noticed the bodies of the two watchmen—Shankarapandian (65) and Pechimuthu (50)—lying with multiple cut injuries near the flagmast inside the Nachadai Thavirtharuliya Swamy temple at Devadanam and immediately informed temple officials and police.

The ancient temple, located about 12 km from Rajapalayam, is managed by the Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments Department.

The temple’s offering box was found broken and cash missing, the official said, adding that police suspect the two guards were killed while resisting the robbery. A case has been registered and an investigation is underway.

Expressing shock over the incident, AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami said a series of recent crimes—including this one, the hurling of a country bomb at the office of Chennai Corporation councillor Ashwini Karuna, and a murder in the police quarters in Tiruchirappalli—reflected the deteriorating law and order situation in the state.

The chief minister, who holds the home portfolio, was fully responsible for maintaining law and order, he said.

"I strongly condemn the failure of the DMK government led by Chief Minister M K Stalin in maintaining law and order," the former CM said in a post on 'X'.

He urged the state government to take immediate steps to bring those responsible for the murder of the temple guards to justice.

BJP state president Nainar Nagendran said there was no safety for people’s lives and sarcastically remarked that "even money is not safe under the present rule of the DMK." "The heinous crime inside the Nachadai Thavirtharuliya Swamy temple shows the status of law and order in the state," Nagendran said on 'X', demanding the arrest of the culprits.

Condemning the murders and theft, Hindu Munnani state president Kadeshwara C Subramaniam said police laxity was to blame for the crime.

In a statement, he urged the government to recruit ex-servicemen as temple guards instead of appointing ordinary civilians. PTI JSP SSK JSP SSK KH