Ex-MLA candidate shoots father in front of mother in Badwani:Accused goes absconding; fear grips village, police intensify search

In Badwani district, the accused who shot and killed his father on 20 April is still absconding even after three days. Police teams are carrying out raids to trace him. The accused had also contested the 2018 Assembly elections on an Aam Aadmi Party ticket. Father shot dead in broad daylight According to police, Jagann Badole (58) was shot in the head by his son Chandan Badole (32) in broad daylight. He died on the spot. Around 24 hours after the incident, the accused released a video threatening to carry out more killings. After the video surfaced, panic spread in the village. The situation is such that villagers are not stepping out of their homes even during the day. They fear the accused may kill them too. A team from Dainik Bhaskar visited Pichodi village, located about seven kilometres from the district headquarters. See these 3 pictures related to the incident… ‘He can do anything,’ say villagers The village remains completely silent in the afternoon. Houses are scattered far apart, but all doors are shut. Only the sound of birds and distant utensils can be heard in the silence. Three villagers were seen walking together and were asked about the situation. One of them, Babu Singh, said, “No one has gone anywhere, everyone is inside their homes. After the murder of Jagann Badole, his son Chandan has threatened more killings. He has weapons. He can do anything, so everyone is scared. Everyone values their life, that’s why no one is coming out.” Forced to stay indoors even in extreme heat Babu Singh added that earlier, due to extreme heat, villagers used to sleep outside their homes after Holi night. But after Chandan’s threat, everyone is now staying indoors to protect themselves, even in extreme heat. Because of fear, children are not being sent to school or Anganwadi centres. Police have been deployed in the village. When power went out at night, police remained alert and patrolled the area with torches. Land dispute behind the conflict Babu Singh said Chandan was not known to be aggressive earlier. There was a land dispute with his father. He wanted his share of land, but his father refused. The matter reached the village council, and later he was given ₹2 lakh by mortgaging part of the land. This incident is about a year old. The victim’s house is located further down the lane, near a tree where police are stationed. Mother says she saw husband being shot Sitting near a peepal tree, Jagann’s wife Gauri Bai said in a trembling voice that she and her husband were together when the incident happened. “He first argued with his father. The dispute escalated and he lost control. He fired a shot from a pistol kept at home. The bullet went through the temple and came out the other side”. She added that her son had earlier attacked his father with the reverse side of an axe, causing a fracture in his hand. Money demands and repeated violence Gauri Bai said the accused had also assaulted his younger brother and father earlier. He demanded that land near Khalghat be sold to give him money. The family mortgaged the land and gave him ₹2 lakh. Now the family fears for their lives. He had earlier warned that if money was not given by selling land, he would finish the entire family. It has been three days, and due to fear they have not even eaten properly. Fear even during last rites Villagers and relatives accompany each other even for cremation rituals due to fear. Police personnel are guarding the house day and night. The entire village remains terrified. The younger son, Kundan, said his brother wanted to become a very big man. ‘Even going to cremation ground feels unsafe’ Kundan said Chandan had earlier fought and assaulted both him and his father. He only wanted money and could go to any extent. He added that he performed his father’s last rites but is unable to complete rituals properly due to fear. He said police are stationed outside the house, but fear remains that the accused could return anytime. According to him, his brother wanted to become very powerful. Old video reveals ambitions and frustration A video made by Chandan three days before the murder surfaced online. In it, he speaks about disputes with his father and demands his share of property. He says he wanted his share so he could run his business properly, but his father refused. He also talks about big dreams, including business plans worth over one crore, political ambitions, social work, and building a Krishna-themed ashram where religious rituals and food distribution would happen year-round. However, he also says in the same video that despite such dreams, he often goes hungry for days. Threats against slaughterhouses In the same video, Chandan talks about protecting cows. He threatens to blow up slaughterhouses and shoot those who run them. He says he wants to develop large cow shelters, but again repeats that he himself is starving. Political background Chandan Badole had contested the 2018 Madhya Pradesh Assembly elections from Badwani constituency on an Aam Aadmi Party ticket, securing around 1,000 votes. He had also cleared selection twice for the police head constable post but failed in the physical test. He later got involved in illegal sand mining using tractors and also started welding work, which later shut down. For the past year, he had been staying at home. Family disputes and background According to Gauri Bai, both sons’ wives had left them. Both sons have one child each. Chandan’s wife left in 2023. Kundan’s wife also left in 2025 after a marriage dispute in the village. The victim had mediated and ended Kundan’s marriage, after which the child stayed with Kundan. Chandan blamed his father for the broken relationship. Kundan’s wife had also filed a molestation case against Chandan. Police search operation continues Kotwali police station in-charge Baljeet Singh Bisen said the accused’s location was traced in the Bawan Gaja forest on Tuesday. Teams from Pati, Badwani and Silawad police stations carried out searches with weapons, but no success was achieved. The accused also uploaded a photo with his nephew on Instagram, threatening that he would kill his sister-in-law if she remarried. Police have deployed forces at his house and continue the search operation.