Hassan tense after JDS council member’s brutal murder, security tightened

HASSAN: Hassan City municipal council member from the JDS, Prashanth, was brutally murdered by a gang on Wednesday evening when he was returning home from work around 6.45 pm.

The victim’s wife Sowmya has lodged a complaint with the police alleging that one Poornachandra of Weavers Street and his accomplices had murdered Prashanth. The gang followed him in a autorickshaw (KA 46 6388) and then attacked him, she claimed.

The accused Poornachandra

Holenarsipur MLA and JDS leader H D Revanna, who visited the Hassan Institute of Medical Sciences on Thursday morning, accused the police officers of negligence in the case. He alleged that ever since police inspector Renukaprasad was posted in Hassan, there has been a rise in rowdy activities and demanded action against the inspector, Hassan Rural inspector Arokiappa and DySP Uday Bhaskar.

Following this, Renukaprasad has been served a notice by the SP for dereliction of duty and sent on compulsory leave.

JDS leader H D Revanna taking police officials to task on Thursday.

Meanwhile, the police have tightened security at the hospital and other sensitive places to prevent any untoward incident. Additional police forces are also being called in from other districts. The body of Prashanth will be handed over to the family after autopsy.

Prashanth’s family was close to thespian actor late Dr Rajkumar’s family from the time of his father H R Nagaraj. Whenever late actor Puneeth Rajkumar visited Hassan, he always made it point to visit Nagaraj’s family.

Given his close ties with Dr Rajkumar, Nagaraj had named his third son as Mayur. About five months ago, Mayur committed suicide due to depression following Puneeth’s death.