Hyderabad: Makloor police in Nizamabad on Tuesday arrested two farmers, Karam Naveen and Edagotti Prasad, in connection with the brutal murder of another farmer, Ryapani Chinna Gangaram, who was also a distant relative of Prasad. The incident occurred on April 13 in Chikli village.
According to police, the murder took place during a village panchayat convened to resolve a long-standing land dispute between the parties. As tensions flared, Naveen, allegedly holding a grudge against Gangaram, ran him over with a tractor in front of the village elders, killing him on the spot.
Prasad was booked as an abettor in the crime, based on the history of disputes and his alleged role in instigating the conflict. Both accused were remanded to judicial custody on Tuesday, Nizamabad north rural circle inspector B Srinivas said.
The police investigation revealed that Gangaram had planned to sell a piece of his land due to financial difficulties. Prasad, who had a strained relationship with Gangaram, allegedly encouraged Naveen to purchase the land under the name of his brother-in-law.
When Gangaram discovered Prasad’s involvement, he refused to complete the deal despite having received payment. Meanwhile, Naveen had already taken possession of the land and begun cultivation, which reportedly led Prasad to repeatedly damage the standing crop.
Multiple panchayats were held to mediate the dispute, but no resolution was reached. Police say Prasad and Naveen, harboring resentment, plotted to eliminate Gangaram. On April 13, during another mediation attempt, Naveen took advantage of the gathering and allegedly carried out the fatal attack.
Further investigation is underway.
