MP man run over by Thar, daughters stripped and beaten in brutal hour-long assault

Crime

A bitter land dispute in Madhya Pradesh culminated in the death of a 55-year-old farmer, who was brutally assaulted and run over by a Thar vehicle, leading to murder charges against at least 18 people and sparking a political confrontation between the state's ruling party and the opposition.

The victim, Ram Swaroop Dhakad, succumbed to his injuries at a district hospital after an attack that also involved his daughters being allegedly stripped and beaten when they tried to intervene, according to a report by The Indian Express.

The incident unfolded in Ganeshpura village when Dhakad was on his way to his field with his wife. As detailed in a police complaint filed by his daughter, Mahendra Nagar and a group of associates launched an assault on him. The daughter stated that upon hearing the commotion, she and others went outside to rescue her father, at which point the assailants hit him with a car.

The situation escalated dramatically when the family tried to intervene. The daughter alleged that she was assaulted, with the attackers sitting on her chest, tearing her clothes and pulling her hair, while also firing a bullet.

The victim’s brother, Ramkumar, corroborated the severity of the attack, alleging that the clothes of both girls were torn and that around 20 people fired shots in the air to intimidate them, preventing the family from taking the injured farmer to a hospital for nearly an hour.

An eyewitness, Ram Babu Nagar, supported the family's account, stating that a group of 10-15 people attacked Dhakad with wooden sticks before a man named Jitender ran a Thar vehicle over the farmer's feet, crushing them. The witness attributed the violence to a land dispute that had been ongoing for three months.

A senior police officer was cited by The Indian Express as saying that the attack stemmed from a conflict over six bighas of land in Rajasthan between Dhakad and another man named Kanhaiya.

The officer stated that due to this enmity, Kanhaiya, Mahendra and 13-14 others, including women, carried out the assault, leaving the victim with fractures in many parts of his body. The victim’s family has alleged that the main accused had been threatening small farmers in the area to sell their land.

An FIR has been registered at the Fatehgarh police station against Mahendra Nagar, three women from his family and 14 others under sections including murder. Fatehgarh Station House Officer Jayanarayan Sharma confirmed that raids are underway to arrest the accused.

The case quickly escalated into a political issue. The opposition Congress party alleged that the main accused was associated with the BJP. Congress MLA Rishi Agrawal condemned the incident, stating that cases of violence are increasing in Madhya Pradesh and accusing the police of working in fear of those in power under the watch of the Chief Minister, who also holds the Home portfolio.

However, the BJP denied any association with the accused. BJP spokesperson Shivam Shukla stated that the accused was a former sarpanch and not a party member, dismissing allegations based on photographs with BJP leaders as unfounded. He emphasised that public representatives meet with many people and that such photos do not indicate party affiliation.