Six persons — three men and as many women — were killed, and two others were injured in a shooting incident in Madhya Pradesh’s Morena district on Friday. All the victims are members of the same family and were attacked by a mob led by a neighbouring family with whom they share an acrimonious past, said the police.
The deceased are Keshkali, Babli, Madhu, Gajendra Singh Tomar, Satyaprakash and Sanju, while the injured are Vinod Singh Tomar and Virendra Singh Tomar
According to investigators, the decade-long feud erupted between 9.30 and 10 a.m. when the family of Gajendra Singh Tomar was attacked by a group of 20 to 25 people at the instance of one Dhir Singh.
Visuals further showed that the two sides clashed with sticks before a youth, surrounded by other men carrying firearms, opened fire with a double barrel gun.
In 2013, two members of Dhir Singh’s family — Veerbhan Singh Tomar and Sobran Tomar — were killed and a third wounded allegedly by members of Gajendra Singh Tomar’s family in a clash that was an escalation of an argument between the two sides over dumping of waste (on the other’s land), said Additional Superintendent of Police (ASP) Rai Singh Narwaria, providing the backdrop of Friday’s clash.
Reached settlement
After the 2013 incident, some family members of Gajendra Singh Tomar were arrested and later came out on bail, Fearing a backlash from Dhir Singh’s family, they left the village and settled in Gwalior and Ahmedabad. However, after an intervention by other villagers and relatives, they reached a settlement two years ago.
The victims received an assurance from Dhir Singh’s family that they won’t be harmed upon their return to the village home in lieu of some land and ₹10 lakh they paid off to Dhir SIngh’s family, Gajendra Singh Tomar’s wife Kusma Devi has purportedly told the police. As part of that settlement, the family had returned to their village home and were in the process of entering when they were attacked.
“Since the accused lived next door and had given their consent for the return, the victim family had no clue that they would be attacked nor had they intimated the police that they could be attacked so we could have provided security cover,” Mr. Narwaria added.
An FIR under the relevant IPC provisions for murder and rioting was registered and two accused were arrested till Friday evening.
The Chambal region where the shooting happened has witnessed several incidents where property disputes have resulted in violence in the past too. Bhidausa village, from where athlete-turned dacoit Paan Singh Tomar hailed from, is also close to the Lepa village.
Meanwhile, after the murders, the Opposition attacked the BJP government in the State for failing to maintain law and order.
“A brutal case of murder of 5 [the toll increased later] people in broad daylight has come to light in Morena district. I pray for the peace of the souls of all the dead. This incident is a serious challenge to the law and order situation in the State. Incidents challenging the law and order are happening one after the other in the State but the government is not able to control the situation. I request the Chief Minister that action should be taken according to the law in this matter and security arrangements should be made in such a way that such incidents do not recur,” tweeted MP Congress President and former Chief Minister Kamal Nath.
