Vijayapura, 1 June

Police arrested 12 people on Monday in connection with a violent land dispute that left six dead, including four members of the Nirale family. The accused are set to be produced before a court on Monday.

A complaint lodged at Chadachan police station states that on 29 May, Dundappa Nirale, Shivaputra Nirale, Chandu Nirale, Rahul Nirale and two associates were killed. While several others were injured in what has come to be known as the "Chadachan murder case.”

The complaint was lodged by farmer and town panchayat member Chaitannya Kumar Nirale, 33, who stated that the violence stemmed from a long-running dispute over agricultural land purchased by his family from a local farmer.

According to the FIR, the Nirale family had purchased several parcels of land in Govindapur from Khyama Ninga Teli. However, disputes allegedly resurfaced after the purchase when objections were raised to the family's efforts to clear and cultivate the land.

While clearing the land, a group of armed men arrived on motorcycles armed with swords, machetes, sickles, knives and other weapons.

Police have registered a case, and an investigation is ongoing.