A 9-year feud and a ‘final meeting’: 2 brothers murdered by stepbrother in Mysuru property dispute
According to the police, the dispute dates back several years and involved the family of Ramesh Nayak, who had married twice.
During the quarrel, the accused allegedly went into the kitchen, picked up a knife, and stabbed the victim in the abdomen. (Representative Image) A long-running family property dispute allegedly culminated in a double murder in Mysuru district’s K R Nagar taluk, where the police said two brothers were killed by their elder stepbrother on Thursday.
The deceased were identified as Raghu, 32, and Harsha, 30, residents of Srirangapatna. The accused, Rohit, 34, has been taken into custody by the K R Nagar Town Police.
According to the police, the dispute dates back several years and involved the family of Ramesh Nayak, who had married twice. Tensions between the two sides of the family had reportedly persisted since 2015 over the division of ancestral property, with the matter also pending before the local court.
The police said that Ramesh Nayak himself was murdered in 2022 in connection with the same dispute. In that case, Raghu – son of Ramesh Nayak’s second wife – was arrested and jailed and later secured bail. After his release, he had been living with his mother, wife, and brother Harsha in Srirangapatna.
Meanwhile, sons of Ramesh Nayak’s first wife — Rohit and his younger brother Rupesh — were residing at Arjunahalli village in K R Nagar taluk.
According to investigators, discussions were held between members of both sides of the family starting May 1 in an attempt to settle the property dispute. However, the police said the talks failed to yield a resolution.
On May 6, Rohit allegedly called Raghu and Harsha to Arjunahalli for what was said to be a final round of discussions on the division of property. The police said an altercation broke out during the meeting. Following this, one brother was allegedly assaulted and killed inside the house, while the other was taken to a nearby sugarcane field and murdered.
Mysuru Superintendent of Police Mallikarjun Baladandi said preliminary investigation indicates that the murders were linked to the ongoing family feud over property.
“The dispute between the two families had been continuing for years. Discussions were held for four days to resolve the issue, but on May 6, the accused allegedly murdered the two brothers during the final round of talks,” he told reporters on Thursday.
The police said the complaint was filed by Kamakshi, the first wife of Ramesh Nayak, who named 10 persons in connection with the case. Residents reportedly informed investigators that at least five people were present at the scene during the incident.
The police said efforts are underway to identify and apprehend the remaining accused.
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