The gruesome incident took place after “pradhan” (panchayat chief) Dina Nath Singh was gunned down  on Friday morning, according to the police here.

The pradhan, according to  Special Director General of police Brijlal, was killed over a land dispute with some people of the same village. He said Dwarika Dubey and some members of his family allegedly killed Singh.

A case between Dubey and Singh over the dispute has also been also pending in the court since long.

A police party, which reached there, arrested four people in this connection and was on its way back to the police station, when the enraged supporters of the “pradhan” surrounded the houses of the alleged culprits and set them afire.

Some members of their families were trapped inside. By the time the fire was extinguished, 10 people were charred to death.

According to eye witness accounts, the police, which rushed to the spot after getting the information, could not enter the village for several hours as  pradhan’s supporters had blocked the entry points and indulged in heavy stone throwing.

While the pradhan belonged to “Sainthwar” caste, those who were burnt alive were “Brahmins.” According to the villagers, the members of the two castes were rivals at the panchayat polls also.