I suspect the hand of middlemen: neighbour

I suspect the hand of middlemen: neighbour
By: Shlok Kumar
Date: 2009-01-13

Bangalore:

Unsafe: The house of A V S Rangan with relatives at the gate
Son says, contrary to reports, property deal was not finalised

The atmosphere in Jayanagar was sombre as visitors sat outside the garage condoling the death of elderly couple A V S Rangan (81) and Vasantha (76) who were murdered last Friday.

"A V S Rangan told me last week that he was going to dispose of his house within three days," says an elderly neighbour. The 84-year-old neighbour who requested anonymity said he had purchased his site along with Rangan 50 years ago. "I suspect the hand of middle-men," he added.

The police are now interrogating close relatives too. S Ravi, DCP south division, confirmed this and said, "Investigations are under way and we are dedicated to doing justice to the case."

V N Prasad, Rangan's eldest son, recalled that his dad was an active man. "The day would begin at 6 am for my parents. As the morning newspaper arrived, dad would settle down on his easy chair in the verandah and enjoy his coffee, frequently greeting passers-by," Prasad said.

A V S Rangan had decided to move to Prasad's house in Mysore this month. Rangan is said to have been in touch with a property dealer regarding the sale of his house for anything between Rs 4.5 crore and Rs 5 crore.

"We only submitted the property deed for legal scrutiny in August on receipt of a cautionary deposit," confirms Prasad, "Contrary to most reports, we did not finalise any deal."

How safe are our elders?

The Rangan neighbourhood in Jayanagar 3rd Block is home to many elderly people. "Rangan was such a friendly person. He's been my neighbour for 25 years. He would go for walks at noon and in the evenings and greet us.

Vasanta was also a gentle lady. It is such a shock to us," says Vijayalakshmi (65) a spinster, as she wipes tears from her eyes. "We old people are increasingly unsafe," and blames it on the evil ways of 'Kalyug'. "I don't suspect anyone as such, but they would change maids frequently," Vijayalakshmi said.

Indira Chandrashekhar (76) was also shocked. "I would meet Vasanta at Ram Mandira. She was a good singer. My husband would often meet Rangan at the bank." Indira, too, has a son working abroad and lost her husband two months ago. She remains under the care of a helper, Reena (20).

"My son in America read about the murder and has since been urging me to join him. But I can't give up these familiar surroundings," she said, adding she couldn't trust anyone now.