Dalit man beaten to death over borewell dispute in Madhya Pradesh; 8 held

BHOPAL: A 30-year-old Dalit man was beaten to death allegedly by a sarpanch and his associates in Shivpuri district on Tuesday evening following a dispute over a borewell. The incident took place in Indergarh around 70km from Gwalior.

The victim, Narad Jatav, died in a hospital. His family alleged that he could have been saved had police acted in time. They blocked NH-46 to demand arrest of the killers and action against the “negligent officers”. Congress MLA from Pohri Kailash Kushwaha joined the protest. Eight suspects, including sarpanch Padam Dhakad, have since been arrested.

CM Mohan Yadav expressed his condolences and announced financial assistance of Rs 4 lakh to the victim’s family. “It is very sad to hear of the death of a young man in a dispute between two parties in Indergarh. Eight accused have been taken into custody. The dispute was related to a borewell.”

Former CM Kamal Nath condemned the murder and tweeted, “Dalits are not safe in MP.” Narad’s maternal uncle, Raghuveer, used the borewell to irrigate his land, while the sarpanch’s family used the water for their hotel.

Tensions escalated when sarpanch Dhakad and his brother, Mohar Pal Dhakad, created a pathway behind Narad’s uncle’s land for hotel access, leading to frequent disputes.

On the day of the incident, Narad, a resident of nearby Daur village, was visiting Indergarh when a confrontation broke out between him and Padam Dhakad over the borewell. In the heat of the argument, Narad uprooted and threw away the borewell pipeline.

This triggered a violent clash, and Narad was beaten mercilessly with sticks. He was taken to hospital but couldn’t be saved. Police named the suspects as Padam, his brother Mohar, Mohar’s son Ankesh, and five other Dhakad family members — Jaswant, Dakha Bai, Vimal, Nikki alias Awadhesh and Betal.

SDM Umesh Kaurav and additional SP Sanjeev Mule went to the spot and persuaded them to lift the blockade, promising that action would be taken after an investigation. According to an official release, the complaint was received at Subhashpura police station from Narad’s brother, Rajkumar, 18, and a case was registered under the relevant sections of BNS and SC/ST Prevention of Atrocities Act.

Shivpuri SP Aman Singh Rathore issued instructions for the swift arrest of the accused. Acting on intelligence, police from Subhashpura and Satnabad arrested four suspects within 24 hours. Four others were arrested later.

Courtesy : TOI

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