The house of retired DRDO official Rajappan Pillai
An elderly man in Bengaluru was killed in his own home - allegedly by a man he had hired to keep him safe.
70-year-old Rajappan Pillai, a retired Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) official had hired Arun around 20 days ago to guard the building in which he lived on the first floor. Police say Arun knocked on the door in the early hours of Tuesday morning, was let in by an unsuspecting Pillai along with three other men. Gold, silver and cash was taken away - but while resisting the gang, Mr Pillai was stabbed and killed. His wife, Usha was also injured - she ran onto the balcony and raised an alarm - and one member of the gang was caught by passing beat policeman and locals.
People living here describe Mr Pillai as quiet and decent - and are shocked with the violent crime.
A man who would meet Mr Pilliai at the photocopy shop he owned said, "We are shocked. He lived just next to us. He was a good man, did not come out much."
Another resident added, "If people who are trusted do something like this. Who can we trust for security?"
Everyone now reminded of their own vulnerability. NDTV spoke to a woman buying vegetables just opposite the building where the murder took place. She said, "It is a very busy area. You see traffic till 11 pm or so. It is so shocking, we are now so afraid to open our gates even during the daytime."
Where is a person safe? The murder was of course a huge tragedy for the family of Mr Pillai. And the incident has also affected people living in this area - and also those living elsewhere. It has shaken their sense of security.