A shocking murder case based on old enmity has created panic in Belagavi district after a 22-year-old youth was allegedly hacked to death by a group of assailants in a deserted area near Hunchyanatti village. Rahul Talwar, a resident of Majagaon village, is said to have been working at a pharmacy.
According to initial information, the incident was reported to have taken place under the jurisdiction of the Belagavi Rural Police Station. Police sources and family members of the deceased say Rahul was lured to the outskirts of Hunchyanatti village by neighbourhood friends in the name of a money-related dispute. The accused is said to have asked Rahul to come to the vicinity and said they had to return some money.
Family members say that the attack was pre-planned and linked to a previous rivalry. They have accused Manjunath Sheetimani of orchestrating the murder with seven to eight associates. Rahul arrived at the isolated location on his motorcycle after receiving the phone call.
Relatives claimed that Rahul felt something was wrong after seeing Manjunath Sheetimani and tried to leave the area immediately. But the accused chased him and attacked him brutally with sharp weapons, including talwars (swords). Rahul suffered severe injuries to his head and hands during the assault.
Rahul, who had been seriously injured, is said to have attempted to move to the nearby village from the deserted location. Witnesses observed him bleeding heavily and collapsed. Locals took him to Belagavi Institute of Medical Sciences (BIMS) Hospital for emergency treatment.
Doctors tried to save him, but Rahul died during treatment. His death caused emotional pandemonium at the hospital, and grieving family members wept and sobbed. It has shaken the local community to the core; people talked about the rise of violent crime among young people.
Rahul’s relatives are demanding the arrest of all those responsible for the attack and have called for the police to bring punishment to the accused. They said the murder was done deliberately, and several people were involved in the assault.
Police have registered a case and launched an investigation into the murder. The police are now collecting evidence from the scene and interviewing suspects in the case. All the accused persons under suspicion in the attack are being tracked.
The brutal nature of the murder has galvanised Belagavi district residents who demand more effective policing to prevent these crimes. Investigation of the rivalry and the motive in the murder is going to be conducted over the next few days.
Police officials have not made official statements on the arrests, though we have been told that there are several teams working to catch the accused persons.
