'Sarala Vastu' Host Chandrashekhar Angadi Killed in Karnataka's Hubballi

The two attackers, who were employees of Sarala Vastu, were arrested by the Karnataka Police.

Sarala Vastu exponent Chandrashekhar Angadi.

(Photo: Accessed by The Quint)

Video Producer: Mayank Chawla

Video Editor: Shohini Bose

Chandrashekhar Angadi, alias Chandrashekhar Guruji, vastu expert and host of the TV programme Sarala Vastu, was killed in a hotel in Karnataka's Hubballi on Tuesday, 5 July.

The police said that Angadi was stabbed to death in the hotel's lobby by two persons, identified as Mahantesh and Manjunath, who approached the victim as his followers. Both the accused were employees of Sarala Vastu.

The two attackers were arrested in Ramadurg. They have been charged under Sections 302 (punishment for murder), 322 (voluntarily causing grievous hurt), and 326 (voluntarily causing grievous hurt by dangerous weapons or means) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).

Mahantesh. 

(Photo: Accessed by The Quint)

Manjunath.

(Photo: Accessed by The Quint)

Angadi, who hailed from the state's Bagalkote district, was popular for his Sarala Vastu programme on local Kannada channels, in which he would offer advice regarding vastu shastra (traditional Indian system of architecture). He also used to operate a television channel with the same name.

The incident was caught on camera and showed the vastu exponent being stabbed around 50 times, after which his killers fled the spot.

The video showed Angadi sitting on a chair, after which one of the men touches his feet. Within seconds, the other one starts stabbing him with a knife.

Several senior police officials rushed to the spot after the murder, including Police Commissioner Labhu Ram, Deputy Commissioner of Police (law and order) Sahil Bagla, DCP (crime and traffic) Gopal Byakod, and North ACP Vinod Moktedar.

A dog squad was also put into action to track the killers.

Police Investigating the 'Heinous' Murder: Karnataka CM

"Some people called him to lobby area of the hotel where he was staying. One person wished him and suddenly started stabbing him. Due to multiple injuries, by the time he was shifted to hospital, he was dead. We have registered a case," said Police Commissioner Ram, as per news agency ANI.

Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai called the murder "heinous" and said that the police had begun its investigation.

"Chandrashekhar Guruji's murder is heinous. It happened in daylight. I have spoken to Police Commissioner Labhu Ram to nab the culprits seen in the video. Police is already on it," the CM had said earlier.

(With inputs from ANI.)