A father and daughter were hacked to death over a property dispute in Belagavi

Police suspect that Rudrapp’s two brothers and his nephew attacked him with deadly weapons after he came out of the Gram Panchayat office. | Photo credit: Image for representation

An elderly man and his daughter were hacked by his relatives on Wednesday over a property dispute at Kittur in Belagavi district.

Rudrappa Kundaragi, 67, an ex-serviceman residing in Dharwad, and his daughter Shashikala, 30, were killed on the gram panchayat premises of Avaradi village.

Police suspect that Rudrapp’s two brothers and his nephew attacked him with deadly weapons after he came out of the Gram Panchayat office. Rudrappa’s brothers Sangappa and Basappa and Basappa’s son Madiwalappa are said to have committed the crime. Shashikala, an engineer, tried to save him, but she too was attacked. The pair bled to death. Rudrapp’s driver was also injured.

Rudrappa had come to the Gram Panchayat office to add his name to the Record of Rights, Tenancy and Crop (RTC), on the basis of a court order awarding him ownership of the house. However, the brothers had long-standing disagreements over the sharing of farmland.

Eyewitnesses told the police that the accused fled on motorbikes. A case has been registered.

Superintendent of Police K. Ramarajan and other officers visited the spot. An investigation is underway.

Mr. Ramarajan later told reporters in Kittur that investigators had obtained video footage of the attack shot by bystanders. “We are going through it to identify the accused and gather more evidence,” he said.

The SP warned relatives and friends of the accused against hiding them. “If they are found to be helping the accused, they will face criminal charges,” he said.

“It appears that the accused first attacked the elderly man with machetes and sticks. When the woman came to his rescue, she was also attacked. Her head was hit on a rock. During the assault, part of her braid was cut off. We have formed a special team to trace and arrest the accused,” he said.

In response to a question, the SP said that it is unfortunate that long-standing civil disputes are turning into criminal offences. “The main reasons behind such acts of violence are people’s low level of awareness of due process and legal remedies and greed. Another reason seems to be the delay in disposal of civil cases. Many people approach police stations for redress in civil disputes. But we are unable to help them as the solution lies in court judgments. We believe faster delivery of justice would reduce such incidents,” he said.

Published – 16 Sep 2026 19:19 IST