Tension gripped Pillappa Garden in K.G. Halli on Thursday night when a group of armed men razed a prayer hall, which was recently started in a rented house.
In a complaint to the K.G. Halli police, the management of the prayer hall (St. Lutheran Church) said that around 10 armed men barged into the premises, ransacked it, razed it with earth movers and fled from the scene.
Inquiries revealed that the prayer hall was earlier taken on rent for a catering business from Patrick, the owner. A few months ago, it was converted into a prayer hall.
The owner had filed a complaint against the tenants accusing them of grabbing his property on the pretext of starting a prayer hall. Since it was a civil dispute, the police asked Patrick to approach the civil court and resolve the matter amicably.
However, on Thursday, the tenants and management complained that the armed group stormed in and razed the prayer hall. They also alleged that the armed group used earth movers to damage the prayer hall and even threatened the locals, who went to the spot.
The K.G. Halli police, who have taken up a case, said they were verifying the CCTV footage from in and around the area to identify the armed members.
