T’puram: A group of assailants allegedly assaulted the staff on night duty at the Nadu Kaani Shastha Temple in Poovachal on Monday. The incident occurred when the employees were guarding the temple premises as part of enhanced security measures following a recent idol theft.According to a complaint filed with Kattakada police, the gang arrived on motorcycles and violently attacked R Santhosh Kumar, temple’s chief trustee and a resident of Attinkuzhy near Kazhakkoottam. He suffered injuries and was admitted to a hospital at Kattakada for treatment.The complaint states that the attack happened when Kumar, accompanied by his friend Shijo, a member of the temple development committee, noticed a group of men standing suspiciously near the temple. Upon questioning them, the gang turned violent and assaulted Kumar. Hearing the commotion, Shijo rushed to the spot, only to be held back and assaulted by the group.The accused fled the scene before locals could intervene. The attack follows the theft of a Panchaloha (five-metal) idol from the temple a few weeks ago. In response to the theft, the temple authorities appointed members of the committee to take turns guarding the premises at night.Police registered a case and confirmed that six people were named in the complaint, three of whom were already identified. Initial probes suggest that the assailants were under the influence of alcohol at the time of the incident.“We are pursuing leads based on the complaint and eyewitness accounts. Three suspects have been identified and efforts are on to trace the rest,” a senior police officer said.
