In a daring incident, a group of unidentified men gained entry into an Amman temple by breaking open the lock of the entrance gate and stolen jewellery worth seven sovereign, besides uprooting the hundial at Thirumangalam village in Kancheepuram district in the wee hours of today.

Moreover, the lone watchman keeping vigil before the temple gate was assaulted by the iron rod when he tried to prevent the gang from breaking open the lock during the robbery.

According to police, Subramani (40) used to sleep on the temple verandah during night. Hearing the loud noise of iron rods trying to break open the locked gate of the temple at around 12.30 am, he woke and tried to prevent the gang from entering the temple premises. However, one of the culprits struck the watchman with iron rod and he fell down in a pool of blood and died on the spot. Following this murder, the gang entered the sanctum and relieved a gold chain worth seven sovereign from the neck of the main deity and also took away the two-and-half feet high hundial.

This morning villagers were shocked to find Subramani lying dead at the temple and informed the police station at Sunguvarchathram. Hearing the temple robbery and murder, DSP Balasubramanian, Sunguvarchathram inspector Mohan and Sriperumbudur inspector John Victor rushed to the Amman temple and inspected the crime scene.

Fingerprint experts and sniffer dogs were pressed into service. Police had sent the body of Subramani to the Government Hospital at Sriperumbudur for post-mortem. The victim, a daily-wage earner, is survived by wife and two children.

Sunguvarchathram Police have registered a case and further investigation is on. Following the temple robbery cum murder, tension gripped the villagers at Thirumangalam.