Land dispute ends in double murder:Couple beaten to death in Neemuch; injured son yet to learn of their passing

Silence prevails in Kanka village of Neemuch district these days. People talk in low voices in the village streets, but the discussion is only one that a younger brother took the lives of his elder brother and sister-in-law over half a bigha of land. Villagers sitting outside the house near Ganesh Temple have both anger and pain in their eyes. Someone says land could still be found, but where will the brother come back from? While someone else remembers the family that was living a normal life until a few days ago. In this bloody conflict on June 17, 55-year-old Pooranmal and his wife Sampat Bai died. Their son Jeevanlal is seriously injured. He is admitted to the hospital. Signs of violence remain visible When the Dainik Bhaskar team reached the field about one kilometer away from the village, where the incident took place, signs of struggle were still present there. Dried blood on the ground, scattered chili powder, Pooranmal’s shoe, broken dentures, and Sampat Bai’s slipper were narrating the horror of the incident. A blood-stained sack lay nearby. The cement poles along the edge of the field also appeared uprooted and broken. Looking at the entire scene, it seemed that the dance of violence had continued here not for a few minutes, but for a long time. Pillars found fallen in the morning Jeevanlal, admitted to the hospital, stated that on the day of the incident, he went to the field in the morning to put fodder for the cattle. There, he saw that the cement pillars on their land were broken and fallen. Returning home, he informed his father Pooranmal about it. A little later, his uncle Ramniwas called. He said, ‘Let’s get the land measured by the Patwari, come to the field.’ The family thought that perhaps the long-standing dispute would now be resolved, but as soon as they reached the field, the picture changed. Chili powder thrown, then attacked with sticks According to Jeevanlal, Ramniwas, his wife, brother-in-law, and children were already present at the field. All of them had sticks in their hands. As soon as Pooranmal, Sampat Bai, and Jeevanlal arrived there, chili powder was thrown into their eyes. The three could not recover from the sudden attack and fell to the ground. After this, the attackers started assaulting them with sticks, kicks, and punches. Pooranmal was targeted first. His wife and son ran to save him, but the attackers also pounced on them. The three were continuously attacked for about 15 minutes. After being seriously injured and becoming unconscious, the accused left the scene, assuming them to be dead. Dispute over land According to villagers and the family, the root of the dispute was only half a bigha of land. The family says that the grandmother had divided five bighas of land. Both brothers received two bighas of land each, while one bigha of land was registered in the name of Jeevanlal. It is alleged that Ramniwas had encroached upon half a bigha of land from this share. Due to this, a long-standing dispute was going on between the two families. The matter had also reached the police, patwari, and revenue officials, but no permanent solution could be found. Sister said – I’m afraid his condition might worsen Poornamal’s daughter, Vandana Rathore, says that her brother Jeevanlal has serious injuries to both his hands and feet. His condition is not such that he can be given such a big shock all at once. The family has not yet told him that his parents have died. Vandana says, I’m afraid that if he is told this news now, his condition might worsen. Vandana demanded that the accused be given the death penalty, their house be demolished, and financial assistance be provided to the helpless family. Villagers said – If the administration had intervened, none of this would have happened. Village elders say that the relationship between the two brothers was not so strained before. Many people claim that Pooranmal was even ready to give land to end the dispute. His only condition was that a part of some old family expenses be paid. Villagers say that if the administration or the revenue department had intervened in time, perhaps the matter would not have reached this point. The people of the village repeatedly reiterate that Pooranmal had managed the family through struggle. He ran the household by selling vegetables and also supported his younger brother. A villager said, No one had thought that the land dispute would reach this outcome. Financial situation not strong The family’s financial situation was not strong to begin with. The responsibility of the house has now fallen on the shoulders of the daughters and relatives.