Family watches in horror as man gunned down in temple

A man was shot dead at point-blank range while praying with his wife and children at a temple near Gelang Patah, Johor, last night.

K Jaganathan, 37, who had eight criminal records, was gunned down before his horrified family and onlookers about 7.30pm.

Initial police investigations revealed that earlier, the gunman had arrived on a motorcycle ridden by an accomplice outside the temple in Taman Nusantara.

He walked into the temple and upon confronting Jaganathan, fired several shots in the direction of the victim and escaped on the motorcycle.

Johor police chief Mohd Mokhtar Mohd Shariff said the victim, from Taman Universiti near Skudai, was sent to a nearby clinic but died upon arrival.

He said the body was sent to the Sultanah Aminah Hospital in Johor Bahru.

"More than two hours after the shooting incident, the police detained a suspect in his 30s, in Gelang Patah to facilitate investigations.

"A task force headed by acting state CID chief, ACP Azizan Anan, has been set up to investigate the killing. We are also in the midst of intensifying 'Ops Cantas' to track down those involved," he told reporters here today.

It is understood that Jaganathan was previously detained under the Emergency ordinance at the Simpang Renggam prison.

He was also believed to have been linked with a secret society.

- Bernama