Three held for killing father-daughter at Belagavi gram panchayat office

Three men have been arrested in connection with the killing of their relative and his daughter at the Avaradi Gram Panchayat office in Kittur taluk of Belagavi district, Karnataka.

Basappa Shivanappa Kundaragi, Sangappa Shivanappa Kundaragi and Madiwalappa Kundaragi were taken into custody on September 18 and produced before a court, which remanded them in judicial custody.

The victims, Rudrappa Shivanappa Kundaragi and his daughter Shashikala, had gone to the panchayat office to have their names entered in a property register in line with a court order. During the visit, the accused are alleged to have picked a quarrel with them over the property and then attacked them with sickles and stones. Both died on the spot.

A man named Rahul, who tried to intervene and stop the altercation, was also attacked with a sickle. He sustained injuries but survived. The accused fled the scene after the attack.

A case has been registered at Kittur Police Station (Crime No. 228/2026) under Sections 103(1), 109, 62 and 3(5) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023, and an investigation is under way.

Superintendent of Police K. Ramarajan set up a special investigation team to trace and arrest the accused. The team comprised Kittur Circle Inspector Shivananda B. Gudaganatti, Police Sub-Inspectors Bharat S. and G. G. Hampannavar, Assistant Sub-Inspector Vastrad, and station staff R. S. Sheeli, A. D. Hannikeri, D. M. Daragad, M. B. Kambar, M. M. Kamble, S. A. Dafedar, S. M. Murgod, A. M. Chikkeri, N. R. Galagi and Nagaraj Kadagannavar.

Mr. Ramarajan, Additional SP R. B. Basaragi and Deputy SP Veerayya Hiremath congratulated the team on the swift arrests.