Bailhongal police arrested a thief on charges of assaulting the seer of Sri Guru Madiwaleshwar Mutt and trying to steal articles from the mutt in Hosur village in Bailhongal on Tuesday night.
Sri Gangadhar Swamy, 60, received injuries on his head and back. Villagers brought a bleeding swami to a hospital in Bailhongal, from where he was sent to the district hospital in the wee hours of Wednesday. He is out of danger and is recovering, doctors said.
The accused, Mallikarjun Gudushetty, 42, tried to steal a pumpset motor from the mutt premises after midnight. A dog started barking and the seer woke up. He went out to the backyard and saw the accused trying to remove the screws of the pumpset. The seer reprimanded him for the act, which angered the accused. He attacked the seer with a machete.
Gudushetty is a repeat offender and has been booked under various crimes including theft and assault in the past. He is out on bail now, a police officer said.
A case has been registered at the Bailhongal police station.
