Jabalpur: A long-standing rivalry between two families in Madhya Pradesh’s Timri village under the Patan police station area of Jabalpur erupted into a deadly confrontation, leaving four dead and two seriously injured, the police said here on Monday.
The bloody altercation reportedly arose from a dispute between the Pathak and Sahu families over gambling activities. The conflict escalated into violence when members of both groups confronted each other armed with weapons.
According to eyewitnesses, the Pathak family, including Satish and Manish Pathak, arrived at a gathering intended to resolve the month-long dispute regarding gambling in the village. Unknown to them, members of the Sahu family were waiting, allegedly armed with sharp weapons.
Before the Pathak family could assess the situation, the Sahu family launched a sudden attack, resulting in chaos and bloodshed. Four members of the Pathak family — Satish Pathak, Manish Pathak, and two others – died on the spot. Two others — Vipin Dubey and Mukesh Dubey, were critically injured and rushed to a hospital by the police.
The conflict reportedly began when the Pathak family objected to gambling activities organised by the Sahu family near their home. Efforts to mediate the dispute, including a recent village meeting, failed to prevent gambling activities in the area.
The incident has caused panic and outrage among the people. Following the attack, the accused members of the Sahu family fled the scene. Villagers, angered by the incident, staged a protest, blocking the roads and accusing the police of negligence in preventing the tragedy despite prior warnings about rising tensions.
The Additional Superintendent of Police (ASP) of Jabalpur, Suryakant Sharma, assured the villagers of swift action. “A case of murder has been registered, and several suspects have already been detained. We are reviewing CCTV footage to identify all involved in the crime. The culprits will be apprehended soon,” he said.
The police have sent the bodies for post-mortem and initiated a thorough investigation into the incident. Additional personnel have been deployed in the area to maintain order and prevent further escalation of tension.
(IANS)
