A 60-year-old man was charred to death and four others were seriously injured in an attack allegedly linked to a long-running dispute over sand mining in Katgodi village in KR’s Chhattisgarh region on Tuesday evening.
Police said the five were traveling in two cars when they were attacked by members of a rival group. Initial investigations indicate that the attackers repeatedly rammed one of the vehicles with a truck, damaging the car and jamming its doors, preventing those inside from escaping. The attackers assaulted some of the car’s passengers who tried to smash its windows and escape when it caught fire.
Eyewitnesses claimed that the attackers poured fuel on the car before setting it on fire. The real reasons behind the fire are not yet known, as the car collided with an electricity pole. Forensic experts are examining whether the car caught fire or whether the collision caused the fire.
One of the passengers, Bharat Singh, was charred to death. Two others suffered serious burns. Two passengers in the second car were seriously injured.
Investigators said the violence appeared to have stemmed from a long-standing rivalry between the Singh and Tripathi families over sand mining operations.
Police said that Bharat Singh and his associates had earlier met members of the rival group after a phone conversation. Four members of Tripathi’s family were arrested. Police said efforts are underway to trace the remaining suspects.
