MP: Forest land dispute turns fatal in Ratlam, youth stabbed to death; 6 booked

Ratlam, July 28 (IANS) An 18-year-old youth was allegedly stabbed to death, while his father and elder brother were injured, after a dispute over a piece of forest land escalated into a violent clash between two groups in Madhya Pradesh’s Ratlam district on Tuesday.

The incident took place in Kaglikhora village under the Kelkachh police outpost in Bajna police station limits. The deceased was identified as Lakshman, son of Badariya.

According to police, Lakshman had gone to a hill along with his father, Badariya, and elder brother, Narayan, to cultivate a patch of forest land when six to seven villagers reached the spot. An argument soon broke out between the two groups, which turned violent. Lakshman was allegedly stabbed in the neck and died on the spot, while his father and brother sustained injuries in the attack.

Upon receiving information, a local police team rushed to the spot, while a forensic team headed by FSL officer Atul Mittal also reached the village to examine the crime scene. After completing the inquest proceedings, the body was sent to the Bajna Primary Health Centre for post-mortem examination.

Additional Superintendent of Police Vivek Kumar said preliminary investigation suggested that the two groups had been involved in a long-standing dispute over possession of a piece of Forest Department land located on the village hill.

“Our police team reached the spot immediately after receiving information through Dial-112. The investigation is being carried out by examining all aspects of the incident, and evidence is being collected from the scene,” Kumar said.

Police have registered a murder case against six named accused, Ramesh, Pankesh, Vikas, Rajiv, Michael, and Mohan, all members of the same family, along with another accused. Some of the accused have been taken into custody, police said.

“The dispute appears to be linked to the possession of forest land. We are verifying all facts, recording statements of witnesses, and taking further legal action based on the investigation,” Kumar added.

–IANS

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