Clash over property hits Belagavi

Belagavi: After some days of peace in Belagavi region, group clashes resurfaced on Sunday resulting in the death of a senior leader of Maharashtra Ekikaran Samiti (MES), octogenarian Ganpatrao L Patil (80) at Jalge near Khanapur. The violent group clash occurred exactly a month after the communal clash at Khanapur-Londa belt during a Hindu Dharma Sabha on October 24.

According to sources, Sunday's clash occurred at Khanapur over a land dispute, which was stated to be pending for almost 30 years in a local court between families of Gurav and Patil. The dead Patil had recently lodged a complaint with the police against members of Gurav family saying he faced a threat to his life from the latter. On Sunday afternoon, several supporters of the Gurav family, allegedly from Angol locality of Belagavi entered into a verbal duel with the Patils at the latter's farm at Jalge over the long-stretched land dispute.

When the situation turned serious, the son of Ganpatrao, Murlidhar informed the police about a possible clash. Soon, police personnel rushed to the spot and brought the situation under control asking both families to get the land records to the police station immediately. When the police left the place and Muralidhar went to collect documents from his home at Jalge, supporters of Gurav family who were still at the farm attacked Patil and his younger son Sanjay. In the fierce clash that ensued, Patil died on the spot on receiving head injuries while Sanjay managed to escape.  

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