At least three people, including a leader of the Bharatiya Janata party (BJP), were charred to death over a long-standing sand mining dispute in the Korea district of Chhattisgarh, said police on Wednesday, adding that four people have been arrested in connection with the incident.
The incident happened on Tuesday night in the Katgodi village, which comes under the Sonhat tehsil. According to the police, the victims were travelling in two cars, including an SUV, where they came under a sudden attack by members of a rival gang.
The attackers rammed the SUV with a truck after which it caught fire. Some of the victims managed to escape by breaking the windows and doors of the SUV, while some failed. Later, those who managed to flee from the car were attacked by the rival gang, the police said.
The police said one of the deceased was identified as 60-year-old Bharat Singh, who was reportedly a BJP leader. The other deceased were 32-year-old Virendra Pratap Singh and 53-year-old Nagendra Singh. While Virendra was attacked using a sharp weapon, Nagendra had suffered 80 per cent burn injuries, the police said.
Four arrested, probe underway
The police have arrested four people in connection with the incident and a further investigation is underway. Throwing light on the rivalry, the police said Bharat Singh had a long-standing dispute with the Tripathi family in the area over sand mining.
The tensions between escalated on Tuesday following a dispute, which eventually led to the killings. Probe continue and more details will be revealed by the police later.
"Nine accused have been named and others are also mentioned in the FIR. Four of them have been arrested. Remaining accused are also being looked for. The sides were in a dispute," IG Surguja Deepak Kumar Jha said while briefing the media on Wednesday.
Congress lambasts BJP
The incident has given Congress a chance to attack the ruling BJP. The party alleged that Bharat Singh was associated with the BJP and disputes over sand mining are rising in the state. The saffron party has not issued a statement Singh's association with it yet, though.
"Sand mafias have been operating under government patronage in Chhattisgarh. Illegal sand mining is being carried out under the protection of BJP leaders. The deceased (Bharat Singh) was a BJP leader, and those accused of the attack are also linked to the BJP," said Chhattisgarh Congress president Deepak Baij.
The incident has also drawn spark reaction from members of the Kshatriya community, who have demanded a probe by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai has taken cognisance of the incident and assured that no one will be spared.
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