Murders over land dispute: Vijayapura police arrest 12

The Vijayapura district police on Monday arrested 12 people in connection with the gruesome murders of six people, including five of a family from Chadchan, over a land dispute.

Five members of a family and another man were hacked to death by a group of 15 to 20 members when the victims were preparing the disputed land for cultivation at Govindapur village in Chadchan taluk on Friday. The incident had sent shockwaves across the state.

The police on Monday arrested: Kallanagouda Patil (65)Mahasidda Biradar (44), Mahesh Biradar (22), Raju Ugar (20), Yellappa Arakeri (25), Layappa Biradar (65), Subhash Biradar (21), Raosaheb Biradar (20), Gajananand Biradar (20), Sanju Arakeri (31), all natives of Govindapur, and Rajkumar Koli (28) and Hanumanth Koli (18) from Maharashtra. The accused were produced before an Indi court and sent to jail, Superintendent of Police Laxman Nimbargi told reporters.

They hacked Dundappa Revanasiddappa Nirale (65), his brothers Shivaputra (58) and Chandrakant alias Chandu (55), Shivaputra’s sons Rahul (25) and Samarth (23), and Shabbir Attar (45). Aravind Katagi (72) and JCB driver Sandeep Mane (23) suffered injuries in the incident.  

The accused attacked the members of Nirale family for buying 25 acres of land belonging to Shashikant Teli, who is serving a jail term in a murder case.

The Chadchan police had registered an FIR following a complaint lodged by Chaitanya Kumar Nirale, a town panchayat member. The complainant had alleged that a long-standing dispute over an agricultural land that was purchased by his family led to murders.

The accused fled the spot following the murders. The district police had formed a team to trace them.