Man stabs nephew to death over land dispute

Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar: A 21-year-old man was allegedly stabbed to death by his uncle over a land dispute in Dharashiv district late on Saturday.The 45-year-old accused, identified as Vilas Shelke, is currently on the run. His nephew has been identified as Sujit Shelke. Police said the incident took place around 10.30 pm in Khamswadi area of the district. "Sujit was asleep at his home along with his grandparents when the accused arrived there and started creating a ruckus. Vilas began abusing Sujit over the division of their ancestral farmland," a police officer said."The families of the accused and the victim had been involved in an ongoing dispute for some time. The tension between them had been simmering, and the accused was allegedly holding a grudge against his nephew over the issue," Dharashiv superintendent of police Ritu Khoker Kalyan said.During the argument on Saturday night, Vilas allegedly pulled out a knife and attacked Sujit, stabbing him multiple times in the abdomen. The sudden assault left the 21-year-old nephew critically injured."Hearing the commotion, nearby residents rushed to the spot, but Sujit succumbed to his injuries before he could receive medical assistance," the officer said. The incident temporarily caused tensions in the village with locals expressing anger and disbelief over the murder carried out by a close family member. Based on a complaint lodged by the victim's mother, a case has been registered at Shiradhon police station. A manhunt was launched to arrest the accused."Our investigation is under way to establish all aspects of the case. The body was sent for postmortem and later handed over to the family for performing of last rites. Additional evidence related to the case is being collected from the scene. The accused will soon be apprehended and strict action will follow," the officer said.