Rajapalayam double murder case: accused shot during escape bid, say police

One of the accused in the Devadanam temple double murder case — in which two temple security guards were hacked to death on Monday (November 10, 2025) night — was shot by a police team when he allegedly attacked a Sub-Inspector of Police in an attempt to escape custody, in the early hours of Wednesday (November 12).

While the accused G. Nagaraj, 25, of Devadanam, sustained a bullet injury to his leg, SI Kottaiyappasamy suffered cuts to his hand. Both have been admitted to a government hospital in Rajapalayam.

The police arrested Nagaraj on Tuesday (November 11) night. In the early hours of Wednesday, a team of officials from the Seithur police station, led by Inspector Ramesh Kannan, took him to a secluded spot near Dhalavaipuram junction, where Nagaraj had confessed to have hidden the weapon — which was allegedly used to kill the guards — and the stolen temple ornaments.

The police claimed that Nagaraj pulled out a machete from the bushes and attacked Kottaiappasamy in an attempt to escape. Ramesh Kannan opened fire to prevent him from further attacking the SI, the police said. They recovered a silver lamp and some other ornaments belonging to the Nachadai Thavirtharuliyaswamy temple at Devadanam.

According to the police, along with Muniyasamy of the same locality, Nagaraj had scaled the compound wall of the temple and tried to break open the hundial on Monday night. Two security personnel — Petchimuthu, 55, and Sankarapandian, 60 — who were on duty inside the temple, had resisted their attempt, but the accused hacked them to death.

Though the accused had damaged some of the CCTV cameras and stole the digital video recorder, they did not notice another CCTV network available at the sanctum sanctorum of the temple, which had recorded their movement during the robbery.

Based on the video footage, the police arrested Nagaraj. Muniyasamy is absconding, the police said, adding that efforts are under way to arrest him.