Bhopal, May 14 (Inditop) Three members of a family were murdered here in a dispute over water, police said Thursday.
Jeevan, his wife Sita and son Raju were murdered late Wednesday by members of another family in the Shahjehanabad area of Bhopal. The dispute occurred when Jeevan and his family withdrew water directly from a pipeline, with the result that the other family was not getting any water, police said.
“We are looking into the matter and are also trying to find out whether both the families had clashed only over water or they had some other dispute also,” Bhopal Superintendent of Police Jaideep Prasad told Inditop.
A neighbour of the deceased said: “The accused Sanjay, Dinu and others first went to the house of the deceased and threatened them of dire consequences if they continued to fill water directly from the pipeline.”
“They returned nearly half-an-hour later and this time round they attacked the family with daggers, lathis (sticks) and knives badly injuring Jeevan who received multiple wounds and died on way to hospital,” he added.
Later Sita and Raju were also declared brought dead by the doctors at the hospital in Bhopal.
Bhopal is faced with water crisis and people at several places have made holes in pipelines to draw water and at some places such holes can be seen every few metres.
The police have registered a case under various sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) against the accused and launched a hunt to nab them.
Former minister and Congress legislator Arif Aqeel who reached the locality and the hospital to meet the members of the bereaved family Thursday held the state’s Urban Administration and Development (UAD) Minister Babulal Gaur responsible for the incident.
“This is not the first incident when killings have taken place over water. Earlier this month, one person each has been killed in Ujjain and Indore also. There have been clashes at several places in the state capital. Last week eight people were severely injured over a water dispute,” Aqeel said.
Madhya Pradesh Public Health Engineering Minister Gauri Shankar Bisen said works related to resolving the severe water crisis prevailing in the state would be undertaken on a war-footing after counting of votes in Lok Sabha elections May 16.
“Thirty-four out of 50 districts in Madhya Pradesh are facing water crisis due to scanty rainfall,” he said.