Dalit farmer killed over goat grazing in Bidar

A 45-year-old Dalit farmer was allegedly killed after he was assaulted with an axe following a dispute over goats entering an agricultural field at Jirgyal village in Bhalki taluk, Bidar district, on Thursday.

The deceased has been identified as Rajkumar Vitalrao Shinde, a resident of Jirgyal. The Mehakar police have registered a case against four persons — Pradeep Vamanrao Shinde, 52; Rajkumar Muralidhar Biradar, 42; Sharad Vamanrao Lade, 45; and Shubham Sharad Lade, 25 — all farmers from Jirgyal village. The FIR records them as belonging to the Maratha community.

According to the complaint filed by Susheela, 70, the deceased’s mother, Rajkumar owned goats and regularly took them out for grazing. She alleged that about four or five days before the incident, some of the goats had entered Pradeepa Lade’s agricultural field and damaged the crop, following which Pradeepa had reprimanded Rajkumar.

On Thursday, Rajkumar had gone to graze the goats at around 11 a.m. in the agricultural land belonging to Angad Dadarao. His brother Mahendra reportedly brought him lunch at around 12.15 p.m.

The complaint states that Mahendra later telephoned his mother and told her that when he went to give lunch to Rajkumar, four persons — Pradeep Vamanrao Lade, Rajkumar Muralidhar Biradar, Sharad Vamanrao Lade, and Shubham Sharad Lade — had allegedly confronted Rajkumar over the goats entering their field.

According to the complaint, the accused allegedly abused Rajkumar using caste-related slurs. It further alleges that Pradeepa took an axe and struck Rajkumar on the head, causing a serious bleeding injury.

The complainant said that when she reached the spot, the accused had allegedly fled. She and her husband, Vitalrao Shinde, found Rajkumar with a severe head injury. He had died at the spot, according to the complaint.

The Mehakar police have registered a case under Sections 103, 115(2), 352 and 3(5) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023, and Sections 3(1)(r), 3(1)(s), 3(2)(va) and 3(2)(v) of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989. The FIR was registered on Thursday.