Four arrested for killing Bidar man over goats damaging crops

Four men have been apprehended for the brutal murder of a 42-year-old Dalit man with an axe in a village in Bidar district, following a dispute over goats damaging crops. The police have also invoked the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act in connection with the case. The incident took place at noon on Thursday last, as per Bidar Superintendent of Police Pradeep Gunti.

The accused - Pradeep Vamanrao Ladhe, Rajkumar Muralidhar Biradar, Sharad Vamanrao Ladhe, and Shubham Sharad Ladhe - were arrested within 24 hours and placed under judicial custody. The axe utilized in the attack has been seized. The deceased had ventured into a field belonging to Angad Dadarao Biradar to graze his goats when the four accused arrived, leading to a confrontation over a previous incident where the accused's goats had damaged crops in one of their fields.

According to a complaint filed by the victim's mother, the accused resorted to caste-based slurs against the deceased before Pradeep Ladhe struck him on the head with an axe. Two of the accused restrained him, while the fourth also joined in the assault. A case has been registered at Mehkar Police Station under multiple provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, including murder, voluntarily causing hurt, intentional insult, and common intention, along with relevant provisions of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.

The investigation is underway, and the public is urged not to believe in rumors. The allegations, including those of caste-based abuse, are being thoroughly investigated.