A man was found dead near the vegetable market in the heart of Thirthahalli town. The incident is reported to have taken place late on Friday night and the police have already reached the spot and initiated an investigation.
The deceased has been identified as Poornesh, who was a former constable at Theerthahalli police station.
Poornesh, who had a history of alcoholism, was dismissed from the police service for the same reason. The victim was smashed to death with a stone, police sources said.
The exact cause of the incident is yet to be ascertained, it is believed that he was murdered due to a personal dispute. An investigation is underway.