Real estate dispute turns deadly; youth hacked to death in Kallambella

Tumakuru: A long-standing land dispute turned fatal after a 25-year-old youth was brutally hacked to death near Kallambella village in Sira taluk of Tumakuru district on Thursday.

The victim, identified as Madhuvan alias Madhusudan, was allegedly murdered over a property disagreement involving a real estate deal that had remained unresolved for nearly a decade.

According to police sources, Madhusudan was attacked with a machete and died on the spot due to severe injuries. The incident occurred near an agricultural land where discussions over the disputed property were underway.

Police have taken real estate businessman Mahesh and another accused, Shafivulla, into custody and are questioning them in connection with the murder. A case has been registered at the Kallambella police station.

Investigations reveal that the dispute dates back to 2015, when Madhusudan’s father, Narayanaswamy, planned to sell around 2.2 acres of land near Amanikere in Tumakuru, valued at approximately ₹3 crore.

The land had been inherited from his mother, and Mahesh had reportedly shown interest in purchasing it. However, discrepancies in land documents delayed the transaction for nearly three years.

By 2018, after the documentation issues were resolved, Madhusudan reportedly intervened and opposed the sale of the land. Since then, tensions between the family and the prospective buyer had escalated, leading to frequent arguments and confrontations over the property, police said.

On the day of the incident, Mahesh allegedly visited the land to discuss the matter once again. What began as a verbal exchange soon escalated into a violent altercation. In a fit of rage, Madhusudan was allegedly attacked with a machete, resulting in his death.

The murder has triggered shock and anger among local residents, with many expressing concern over increasing incidents of violence linked to land and real estate disputes in the region. Police officials said further investigation is underway to ascertain the exact sequence of events and the role of each accused.

The body has been sent for post-mortem examination, and additional arrests are likely as the probe progresses, police added.

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