India Today ·
Karnataka property row turns deadly: Ex-soldier, daughter hacked to death in gram panchayat office
Rudrappa Kundaragi and his daughter Shashikala were allegedly killed inside an Avaradi gram panchayat office during a land-related visit. Police suspect a long-running ancestral property dispute triggered the attack and are searching for the accused.
A 67-year-old former soldier and his 26-year-old daughter were allegedly hacked to death by their relatives inside a Gram Panchayat office in Karnataka’s Belagavi district on Wednesday, with police suspecting a long-running ancestral property dispute behind the attack.
The deceased have been identified as Rudrappa Kundaragi and his daughter Shashikala Kundaragi, residents of Sattur in Dharwad. Rudrappa, a native of Avaradi village, had previously served in the Army and later settled in Dharwad.
The incident took place around noon at the Gram Panchayat building in Avaradi village of Kittur taluk, where Rudrappa had gone in connection with property-related documentation. Shashikala had accompanied him.
According to Belagavi Superintendent of Police K Ramarajan, Rudrappa and his daughter were allegedly attacked by his own brothers, Sangappa Kundaragi and Basappa Kundaragi, and Basappa’s son Madivalappa Kundaragi.
The accused allegedly attacked Rudrappa with sickles. When Shashikala tried to intervene and protect her father, she too was attacked and killed. Police said she was also allegedly struck on the head with a stone.
Government officials, including the Panchayat Development Officer and other staff members, were present on the premises and witnessed the attack. Some of them also recorded videos of the incident, which police said would form part of the evidence.
Rudrappa’s car driver was also seriously injured in the assault and was taken to a local hospital for treatment. Separately, Shashikala’s friend Rahul, a resident of Shivagiri in Dharwad, was also reportedly attacked and seriously injured. He was shifted to Dharwad District Hospital.
Police suspect the killings were linked to a dispute over ancestral agricultural land.
According to the police account, the family dispute centres on 38 guntas of property. A court had ordered the land to be divided among three family members.
Rudrappa had allegedly sold the portion allotted to him but later maintained that he was also entitled to a share in the remaining property. The dispute reportedly continued between him and his brothers.
Ramarajan said Rudrappa had obtained a court order in his favour and had gone to the Panchayat office to submit an application seeking the entry of his name in the RTC records. He had come for verification related to the application.
According to the SP, Rudrappa’s brothers believed that execution of the court order could result in the property going to him.
“He was trying to get the court order executed through the legal process. His brothers allegedly feared that if the order was executed, the property would go to Rudrappa,” Ramarajan said.
Police suspect this was the reason the relatives allegedly attacked Rudrappa and his daughter.
Police teams are examining video footage recorded by people present at the Gram Panchayat premises.
Ramarajan said the first video examined by investigators showed the accused initially attacking Rudrappa. When Shashikala tried to stop them, she was also attacked.
The video also appears to show Shashikala being struck on the head with a stone, according to the SP.
“She went to intervene and protect her father, and they attacked her as well,” Ramarajan said.
Police personnel from Kittur police station, along with the Circle Inspector, Bailhongal Deputy Superintendent of Police and other teams, reached the spot around 1 pm.
Scene of Crime Officers and Forensic Science Laboratory teams inspected the premises and collected evidence.
The bodies of Rudrappa and Shashikala have been shifted to a taluk hospital for post-mortem.
Police have launched a search operation to trace the accused, while further investigation is underway.
