NEW DELHI: In a shocking incident, a dispute over cutting a Semal tree on a bund in Ballipur-Gadiyana village in Uttar Pradesh’s Kheri district took a fatal turn when a nephew brutally killed his uncle using an axe.
The police have registered a case of culpable homicide not amounting to murder and are currently searching for the accused.
The deceased, Mukhim, a resident of Gotebajanpurwa in Ballipur-Gadiyana, owned four bighas of land south of the village. A four-year-old Semal tree stood on the field’s ridge, sparking a long-standing dispute with his uncle, Jaan Mohammad.
The matter was brought before the panchayat three times, with the panchayat ruling in favour of Mukhim’s son, Salman, and directing Jaan Mohammad to hand over the tree.
On a fateful Sunday morning, Jaan Mohammad’s son, Sajjan, arrived at the field armed with a small axe and began cutting the trees. Mukhim intervened and refused to let the tree be cut, leading to a heated altercation between the two parties.
In the midst of the clash, Sajjan and Jaan Mohammad allegedly assaulted Mukhim, with Sajjan repeatedly striking him on the chest with the axe. Tragically, Mukhim succumbed to his injuries.
The police have sent Mukhim’s body for postmortem and have registered a case of culpable homicide against Sajjan and Jaan Mohammad based on Salman’s complaint. Both accused individuals are currently on the run.
Meanwhile, the wife of the deceased, Chikira Bano, filed a complaint at the police station, alleging that she and her son, Imran, were also assaulted during the incident. However, the police have not registered a case based on this complaint.
Local villagers are demanding that a case of culpable homicide be registered in light of the tragic incident. CO Rajesh Kumar confirmed that a report has been registered based on Salman’s complaint, and the search for the accused is ongoing.