The officer who led the bulldozer team said it was a heinous crime and the cops did a "good job".
A bulldozer was used to raze standing crops belonging to a group of men accused of murder in Madhya Pradesh. Jahar Singh, Umaid Singh, Makhan Singh, Arjun Singh were accused of a double murder which took place two weeks ago. The men are on the run.
Two weeks ago, two elderly men, Badri Shukla, 68, and his brother Ramsevak Shukla, 65, were shot dead over a land dispute in Damoh district. The men had bought three acres of land in 2021. Since then, there was a dispute with the family of the accused.
On February 28, the Singhs wanted to take their tractor from the fields of the Shuklas, but the family refused, the police said. Shortly after, Jahar Singh, Umaid Singh, Makhan Singh and Arjun Singh reached Shuklas' home and shot them dead.
After investigating the case, the local police brought in a bulldozer today and razed the crops on the Singhs' land. Sources said the Singhs had apparently grabbed government land. The family had also taken possession of part of the government school building and a borewell in the village, the police said.
According to Tehsildar Vikas Aggarwal, property worth over Rs 25 lakh has been seized.
District collector S Krishna Chaitnya said, "In Hinauta's double murder case, the revenue department had identified the encroachment by the accused. Two kutcha houses were demolished, they also encroached on the government for farming, so a joint team of revenue and police took action and the encroachment was removed."
Two days ago, the Brahmins held a big protest march in Damoh. The protesters had accused the administration of trying to shield the accused from the Lodhi community because of political influence.
Three persons were arrested in connection with the gang-rape of a minor. A fourth one, Kaushal Kishore Chaubey, is on the run. The police said he had illegally built a house on occupied land. The police also demolished the house.
The officer who led the bulldozer team said it was a heinous crime and the cops did a "good job". Such actions deserve such a punishment, he had said.