BALASORE:  Tension flared up in Baliapal area here after a village headman was killed by a land grabber and his family members on Monday.The deceased was identified as 54-year-old headman of Katramohal village Ramachandra Giri. Six other villagers, who sustained grievous injuries in the incident, are undergoing treatment in Balasore district headquarters hospital (DHH).

The incident took place at around 9.30 am when Ramachandra along with six villagers went to meet one Bhanu Dalai who had encroached on a patch of school land. As Bhanu was planning to construct a house on the encroached patch, the village headman advised the former to vacate the Government land for infrastructure development of the school.  

However, Bhanu, his wife and two sons claimed that it was their land and refused to part with it. This led to an argument between the two groups. Soon the heated exchange took an ugly turn and in a fit of rage, Bhanu brought out a chopper and attacked Ramachandra and his six companions. His family members also joined him in assaulting the villagers.

Ramachandra and the villagers accompanying him sustained critical injuries in the attack. Hearing the commotion, villagers rushed to the spot and rushed the injured to Baliapal community health centre where the doctor declared Ramachandra brought dead. The rest injured villagers were shifted to the DHH after their condition deteriorated. The village headman’s body was sent for postmortem.

Later, Ramachandra’s nephew Hemanta Giri lodged a complaint against Bhanu and his family members with Baliapal police basing on which a case was registered under Sections 147, 148, 323, 324, 325, 326, 307, 294, 506, 149 of the IPC and 25 and 26 of the Arms Act. Balasore SP B Jugal Kishore said prime accused Bhanu along with his all family members have been arrested. They will be produced in court on Tuesday. Further investigation in on.