A man aged 60 was killed and four others seriously injured in violent attacks in the Korea district of Chhattisgarh allegedly linked to a long-running sand mining dispute, police said.
Five persons in two vehicles were allegedly targeted in the Katgodi village near the incident when the incident was Tuesday night. The preliminary investigations suggested the attackers had hit one of the vehicles with a truck at least once, resulting in severe damage and leaving the occupants inside.
According to the police, of the two, Bharat Singh died when the car caught fire. Two others who were in the same car had burned their hands and two passengers in a second car were injured seriously during the attack.
Police are working through other details about where the fire began. According to some of the witnesses, fuel was poured on the car before it was set on fire. Police said, however, that the SUV also hit an electricity pole, and the mechanics behind the blaze are being investigated by forensic experts to see if it was intended or caused by the accident.
It’s believed to be related to another feud between the Singh and Tripathi families over their powerplay in the area for sand mining activities. It appears that the conflict had been raging for some time before it broke into violent conflict.
The victims met with people from the other gang about an hour before the attack, police said. The family members – four of them – have been arrested, and another search is underway for others.
The investigation continues and forensic teams are on site investigating the scene and collecting evidence to determine what happened.