Belagavi Police Arrest Three Suspects in Gram Panchayat Office Double Murder Case

Belagavi district police have arrested three men following a murder investigation into the killing of a retired serviceman and his daughter inside the Avaradi Gram Panchayat office in Kittur taluk. The suspects, identified as Basappa Shivanappa Kundaragi, Sangappa Shivanappa Kundaragi, and Madiwalappa Kundaragi, were apprehended on September 18 after a special investigation team tracked them down. According to the police, the incident occurred when the victim, Rudrappa, accompanied by his daughter Shashikala, visited the local gram panchayat office to register their names in official property records following a court order. The accused, who are relatives of the deceased, allegedly confronted them at the office premises over an unresolved land partition dispute. The argument escalated into violence when the suspects attacked Rudrappa and his daughter with sickles and stones, causing fatal injuries. A car driver who attempted to intervene was also injured during the assault. Superintendent of Police K. Ramarajan formed a dedicated task force under Kittur Circle Inspector Shivananda B. Gudaganatti to locate the assailants. Following swift operations, all three suspects were arrested, produced before a local judicial magistrate, and remanded to custody. Police officials stated that further legal proceedings and forensic investigations under relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita are currently underway to ensure a speedy trial.