Three held for murder over land dispute in Sanand’s Nidhrad village

The Sanand police on Monday arrested three men for allegedly murdering a 25-year-old youth during a violent clash over ancestral land in Nidhrad village of Sanand taluka. The incident, police said, stemmed from a long-standing family dispute between two branches of the same family over ownership of agricultural land.

According to the FIR registered under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and the Gujarat Police Act, the accused — identified as Bipin Bhikhaji Dabhi, Rohit Bhikhaji Dabhi, and Dewang Chhanaji Thakor, all residents of Nidhrad village — allegedly attacked the victim, Dev Dhanaji Dabhi, with knives and wooden sticks during a heated quarrel on Saturday night.

Police said the accused and the victim’s family had been at loggerheads over a parcel of ancestral land in Nidhrad village. The dispute escalated into a violent confrontation in which Dev Dabhi sustained a deep stab injury to the left side of his abdomen, while Haresh Dabhi and Dhanaji Dabhi suffered injuries to the arm and shoulder respectively. Dev Dabhi succumbed to his injuries while undergoing treatment.

“Based on the complaint and evidence collected, all three accused have been arrested and charged with murder. Further investigation into the land dispute and the circumstances leading to the crime is under way,” said Om Prakash Jat, District Superintendent of Police, Ahmedabad Rural.

Police Inspector H.G. Rathod, who heads the Sanand Police Station, said a cross-complaint has also been filed by the rival group involved in the clash. “Both sides have registered cases, and we are verifying the sequence of events to establish individual roles and responsibilities,” he added.

The trio is currently in police custody, and further investigation is ongoing.