Bengaluru, 13 Nov (H.S.): A 39-year-old real estate businessman was hacked to death by a group of armed assailants in front of his wife in broad daylight in Bengaluru’s Yelahanka New Town, with a dispute over land dealings suspected to be behind the killing.

The victim, Charan Gowda, owned Dhani Properties and had been engaged in the real estate business for the past decade. The attack took place outside a bank near a private college within the Yelahanka New Town police station limits.

Gowda was travelling with his wife from their residence in Kogilu to his office in Yelahanka New Town when the assailants intercepted him. His office was reportedly located on the floor above the bank, and the attackers are believed to have waited for him near the entrance.

According to preliminary information, five or six men armed with lethal weapons suddenly attacked Gowda as he approached the building. The assailants reportedly struck him on the head, inflicting fatal injuries within moments.

His wife witnessed the attack. Gowda suffered severe bleeding and died at the scene, while the attackers fled immediately after the assault. His body was subsequently taken to the Yelahanka government hospital.

The attackers were suspected to be young men aged around 22, though their identities and exact ages were yet to be established.

Initial information indicated that Gowda had been involved in disputes with some individuals over land transactions. An old rivalry arising from those dealings was suspected to have triggered the attack. However, the precise motive and the involvement of those linked to the disputes remained unconfirmed.

The circumstances of the assault suggested that the attackers may have known Gowda’s routine and office location. Whether the killing was planned around his arrival, and how the assailants escaped from the busy locality, remained among the unanswered questions surrounding the fatal attack.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Arun Lakshman