Five held in firing over land dispute; arms, SUV seized

Dharwad: Five persons have been arrested after a land dispute escalated into a firing incident near Tadasinakoppa on Dharwad’s outskirts on May 26, leaving one man injured.Police commissioner N Shashikumar said the clash broke out when a group arrived claiming ownership of the land. During the confrontation, shots were fired using a revolver.Vitthal, a relative of the landowner, sustained a bullet injury and is being treated at a private hospital.Based on video evidence and inputs on firing by bodyguards, police arrested Philomina, Praveen Sutar, Inderpal, Benjamin and Vishal. Another accused, Sunder Pal, is absconding.Police have invoked atrocity charges in the case.Preliminary investigation has revealed discrepancies in land records cited by Praveen, who had claimed ownership. Some of the accused are also linked to other criminal cases. Police are verifying whether Sunder Pal’s gun licence had been cancelled earlier, while Praveen is said to hold a valid licence.A pistol, a revolver and a Toyota Fortuner have been seized. The case is under investigation at Vidyagiri police station.