Vijayapura, May 29 (IANS) In a gruesome incident linked to a property dispute, at least six people were brutally murdered in Govindpur village of Chadchan taluk in Karnataka’s Vijayapura district on Friday.

The incident has created panic in the Bhima River belt region, which has witnessed several violent clashes in the past.

According to police and local sources, the killings took place following a long‑standing land dispute between the Nirale and Golagi families. The victims were allegedly hacked with deadly weapons and later shot dead.

The deceased have been identified as Revansiddappa Nirale, Dundappa Revansiddappa Nirale, Shivaputra Revansiddappa Nirale, Chandrashekhar Nirale and Shabbir Nadaf. Police said another person was also killed in the attack, taking the death toll to six.

Police said tensions had been brewing between the families over agricultural land ownership. A local mediation meeting had reportedly been held a few days ago in an attempt to resolve the dispute.

On Friday, members of the Nirale family and others had reportedly gone to attend another settlement meeting regarding the land issue when they were attacked by a group of assailants.

Senior police officials rushed to the spot soon after the incident. The bodies were shifted for post‑mortem examination, and heavy police security has been deployed in the village to prevent further violence.

A case has been registered at the Chadchan police station, and an investigation is underway. More details are yet to emerge regarding the incident.

Bhima River basin is associated with multiple distinct regions that have witnessed violent clashes, ranging from deadly gang wars in North Karnataka to historic caste conflicts and water disputes between Maharashtra and Karnataka.

The villages along the river in Karnataka, spanning the Sindgi and Indi taluks have a long history of bloodshed and gang warfare stemming from land disputes.

Feuds began as rifts between rival villages such as Sonna and Devangaon, which eventually escalated into gang rivalries and revenge killings over the decades.

The region is notorious for the widespread availability of illegal country‑made firearms, which are frequently smuggled in from neighbouring states.

The Bhima river belt and country‑made pistols have remained virtually synonymous for decades.

–IANS

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