70-year-old man killed over land row, 13 held

Patna: A 70-year-old man, Shrawan Pandit, was attacked with a sharp-edged weapon and then mowed down under a tractor over a land dispute in Vaishali district on Friday. The dispute was ongoing for over a decade with the opposing party attempting to encroach on the land. An FIR was filed against 22 people on a formal complaint by the deceased's family. A total of 13 accused were arrested so far, police said.
Police said the altercation began due to a land dispute between two parties over a four-acre plot on Friday. The situation escalated with one group attacking the other with sharp weapons, and a tractor was used to mow down Pandit. The incident occurred at Shahpur Gauspur village under the Kathara police station area.
Kathara SHO, Shashikant Prasad, said, "A total of 22 people have been named as accused in the murder case. Among them are Virchandra Pandit, Ramesh Pandit, Sanoj Pandit, Santosh Pandit, and Manoj Pandit of the same family. Taking the matter seriously, 13 people were arrested during raids. A tractor and a blood-stained sword were seized from the crime scene. Raids are ongoing to apprehend the remaining fugitives. Currently, the situation is under control."
The SHO further mentioned that a case related to the disputed land was ongoing for the last ten years in Hajipur court. The accused persons made temporary sheds on the disputed land, further escalating the matter.