A long-simmering property dispute erupted into a brutal family massacre in Chhattisgarh's Janjgir-Champa district, where a man and his son allegedly killed four of their family members, including an elderly couple, while they slept. The bloodied corpses were found sprawled on their cots on Thursday morning.
Details of the Incident
The macabre killing spree unfolded inside an under-construction house at Bhavantara village in Janjgir-Champa district late Wednesday night. The primary suspect, Sonsai Kashyap, is the son of the deceased elderly couple and had previously served 15 years in jail for killing his own brother. He and his son Dakeshwar alias Golu were taken into custody in connection with the chilling murders, police said.
The deceased were identified as Medani Prasad Kashyap (70), his wife Kanti Bai (65), and their grandchildren Pitambar Kashyap (17) and Mogra (25). They were found lying on their cots in a pool of blood at the under-construction house on Thursday morning.
How the Murders Came to Light
The murders came to light when labourers arrived at the site for work and found the four blood-soaked bodies. They immediately alerted villagers and the sarpanch, following which police, forensic experts, and a dog squad reached the spot.
Police said the victims were asleep when they were attacked with an axe or a sharp-edged weapon. The preliminary probe pointed to a long-running dispute over ancestral property as the likely motive for the massacre.
Family Background and Suspicions
Medani Prasad had three sons. One of them, Sonsai Kashyap, was convicted of murdering his own brother and recently came out of jail after serving a 15-year sentence. Another son had reportedly died by suicide. Police suspect Sonsai wanted to eliminate the remaining claimants to the family property.
Sonsai and his son Dakeshwar alias Golu were taken into custody after questioning. Police said Sonsai had been in constant conflict with his father over the share of property even after returning from jail. Preventive action had earlier been taken against him, but tensions in the family continued.
ASP Umesh Kashyap said the accused were being questioned and the police were also probing if anyone else had a role in the killings.
