A 65-year-old man was bludgeoned to death in the small hours of Thursday by unknown assailants on the premises of a temple at Jamshedpur’s Subernarekha burning ghat.

Identified as Dhani Ram, the victim used to stay at a dingy room beside the temple, from where his blood-soaked body was recovered. A preliminary probe by Sitaramdera police pointed to a tussle between Ram and a local hoodlum Sikandar Bhuiyan, who wanted to take over the room and turn it into his den.

“It seems Dhani Ram was attacked while sleeping, as his face was bloody and battered. A bloodstained brick was also found beside the body,” sub-inspector Neeraj Mishra of Sitaramdera police station said, referring to it as the murder weapon.

Mishra added the watchman discovered the body around 6am and raised an alarm, informing the temple management committee members, who in turn informed the police.

The sub-inspector added that a few days ago, Sikandar had occupied the elderly man’s room, leading the latter to lock it from outside. Ram had let Sikandar out after repeated pleas.

“We suspect Sikandar wanted to turn this room into a hideout. He avoids staying at his Chhayanagar house to escape arrest and hides in places like this, which is why he was eyeing the dingy room,” the police officer said, adding that raids had been conducted to nab him.