Brother kills brother over farmland division

Rajkot: A dispute over ancestral land in Amreli district on Wednesday evening ended with a 50-year-old man being beaten to death, allegedly by his elder brother and relatives, on a farm in Khambha taluka.

A dispute in the Mungalpara Wadi area of Kantala village ended in the murder of Raghav Sondarwa. Police said his elder brother Nanji Sondarwa and others were accused in the complaint filed by the victim’s wife, Ganga. at Khambha police station. The accused are Nanji Sondarwa, his wife Kantu, son Raju, Narshi, nephew Lakhman and six others.

In her complaint, Ganga said the incident took place around 8pm on Wednesday when her husband and others were at their farm. She alleged that Nanji called a villager, Ramesh Chauhan, to plough three bighas of land belonging to their mother, Kunwar, using a tractor and rotavator.

“My husband Raghav told Nanji to first divide the land and then plough it. Nanji replied that they would sow the land first and divide it later,” she said. According to her complaint, Nanji and the others then attacked Raghav with a blunt object.

“When I and my daughter tried to save him, we were also beaten. My husband suffered a head injury and was bleeding. We called 108 to take him to hospital, but the team declared him dead,” she stated.

Nanji Sondarwa, 55, filed a counter-complaint against his deceased brother, his wife and daughter, alleging assault by them.

In his complaint, Nanji said, “Around 8pm, I was driving a tractor and a rotavator on my mother’s land. My brother, his wife and daughter came there and threatened me, saying the land belonged to them and I should not enter.”

“I told them I was cultivating the land because my mother lives with us. They started pelting stones at me and injured me on the head. My wife, sons and nephew intervened and saved me from further beating,” he stated.

Police said they are investigating both complaints and will act based on evidence and witness accounts.