Four men have been arrested for killing a 42-year-old Dalit man with an axe following a dispute over goats damaging crops in Jirgyal village, Bhalki taluk of Bidar district, on Thursday last.
The police have also invoked the provisions of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act in the case.
Bidar Superintendent of Police Pradeep Gunti has, in a release on Sunday, said that the incident occurred at noon on Thursday last.
Accused Pradeep Vamanrao Ladhe, Rajkumar Muralidhar Biradar, Sharad Vamanrao Ladhe and Shubham Sharad Ladhe were arrested within 24 hours and remanded in judicial custody.
The axe used in the attack has also been seized, he said.
The release said that deceased Rajkumar went to graze his goats in a field belonging to Angad Dadarao Biradar. His younger brother Mahendra went to the field carrying lunch for him when the four accused arrived there and confronted Rajkumar over an earlier incident in which his goats entered one of their fields and damaged crops.
According to the complaint filed by the victim’s mother, Sushila Vithalrao Shinde, the accused abused Rajkumar using caste-related slurs before Pradeep Ladhe attacked him on the head with an axe. While two of the accused restrained him, the fourth also assaulted him.
A case has been registered at Mehkar Police Station under various provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, including those relating to murder, voluntarily causing hurt, intentional insult and common intention, besides relevant provisions of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.
Mr. Gunti has said that investigation is under way. He appealed to the public not to pay heed to rumours. The averments in the complaint, including those relating to caste-based abuse, are being investigated, the officer added.
Published – August 16, 2026 09:01 pm IST
