Six people were killed after a group of armed men attacked them over a farmland dispute in Karnataka’s Vijayapura district on Friday afternoon, police said.
Police said more than 10 men arrived while members of the Nirali family, a well-known family in Chadachan town, were clearing property for farming with the help of workers in Govindapura village.
The attackers allegedly first threw chilli powder into the victims’ eyes before attacking them with sugarcane machetes and other sharp weapons. The victims were also shot during the attack.
The deceased have been identified as Chandu Nirali (56), Dundappa Nirali (65), Shivaputra Nirali (60), Rahul Nirali (35), Samarth Nirali (24) and Shabir Nadav (50).
“The incident occurred between 3 and 3.30 pm on Friday, while Nirali’s family members and workers were present in the field. A gang of more than 10 armed men allegedly launched a surprise attack,” Vijayapura police inspector Laxman Nimbarji said.
He added: “It appears that the incident occurred due to a property dispute between two groups. The investigation is ongoing, and efforts are being made to identify and arrest all those involved in the attack.”
The bodies were taken to Vijayapura District Hospital for post-mortem examination.
The dispute is over nearly 25 acres of agricultural land in Govindapura village, police said. According to the preliminary investigation, ownership has been disputed for nearly 15 years between the Teli and Gulagi families.
Investigators said the Nirali family bought the disputed land about six months ago despite objections and warnings from local residents and rival groups. The market value of the property is estimated at approximately $Reportedly, 25,000 acres were purchased for an amount of approx $An officer, who requested anonymity, said: 15,000 acres.
Neighboring landowner Abugoda Gulagi allegedly opposed the deal and warned the Nirali family not to go ahead with it. However, the Nirali family bought the land and recently started clearing it with tractors and JCB machines for farming work.
Police said that a search operation had been launched to track down those involved in the attack, and security measures had been tightened in the Bhima River Belt area.
