Police arrested 16 persons on Monday in connection with a double murder case reported in Jammihal village of Kalghatgi taluk, said Superintendent of Police Vartika Katiar.
Ms. Katiyar told presspersons here on Tuesday that two persons were brutally murdered and five were inflicted with serious injuries by a group of persons on Monday night. Security was tightened up in the village following the incident, she said.
A dispute over priesthood of a temple between the families of Sattur and Akki of the same village led to the murder. Kallappa Basavanneppa Sattur (49) was allegedly abused and threatened by Basavaraj Shivappa Akki and Basavaraj Sangappa Akki, while he was passing in front of their house in the village with his cattle on Monday evening.
Later, at about 8 p.m., the two, along with 15 others, barged into the house of Kallappa Sattur and dragged him out to their field and assaulted him with rods and dagger injuring him seriously.
On hearing this, members of the Sattur family rushed to rescue Kallappa Sattur. However, they too were assaulted. Veerabhadrappa Akki (55), elder brother of Kallappa Sattur, who was assaulted, died on the spot, while his 20-year-old son Ravi who suffered serious injuries died in a private hospital in Hubballi.
Nagappa Basavanneppa Sattur, Basavaraj Nagappa Sattur, Iranna Nagappa Sattur and Kallappa Sattur, who were injured, are being treated in a hospital in Hubballi.
A case has been registered at the Kalghtagi Police Station.
