KRISHNAGIRI: The additional district sessions court in Hosur on Thursday sentenced two men to life imprisonment for the murder of a temple guard during a theft. On March 24, 2009, a group entered the Dakshina Tirupati Temple in Gobasandiram village near Hosur with the intention of stealing money and valuables from the temple. “When the guard, Raju alias Chinnaraj, intervened, he was assaulted severely, and they escaped with some valuables. Raju, who suffered severe injuries, died while undergoing treatment in hospital,” said a court official. He added that Paramasivam, another guard, filed a complaint with the Shoolagiri police. Police arrested six men, including Lakshmanan, 56, Mariyappan,56, Mukundan and Palani, all from Karimangalam in Dharmapuri district. After the trial that continued for many years, the court convicted Lakshmanan and Mariyappan. The court sentenced them to life imprisonment for the murder and 30 years of rigorous imprisonment for the theft at the temple. The court imposed a fine of ₹1,000 and ₹3,000 on Lakshmanan and Mariyappan, respectively. Mukundan and Palani died during the trial period. The cases involving the other two accused are still awaiting conclusion.
