Ex-Ohargaon sarpanch brutally murdered over land dispute

Lokmat News Network

Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar

A long-standing land dispute in Ohargaon turned deadly on Wednesday at 1 pm when eleven men attacked and killed former sarpanch Dada Sandu Pathan (68) on Jatwada Road. While female family members pleaded for peace, the gang struck Pathan and his two sons repeatedly with sticks, rods, and kicks.

The accused include Imran Khan Pathan, Zameer Khan Pathan, Mosin Khan Pathan, Afroze Khan, Aslam Pathan (aka Guddu), Sameer Pathan, Umar Zameer Pathan, Furkan Pathan, Imran Pathan, Ramavatar Sabu, and Haider Pathan. The Pathans reside in Ohargaon, with farmland in front of the house and near a school connected by a small path. Disputes over this path escalated into attempts to claim the entire land, leading to repeated conflicts. On Wednesday, while Pathan was leveling land with a JCB, the gang attacked suddenly, killing him on the spot. Assistant commissioner of police Manoj Pagare, crime branch police inspector Gajanan Kalyankar, Harsul police inspector Swati Kedar, and other officers rushed to the scene. Police arrested Imran Khan late at night; the hunt for the other attackers continues.

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Attack began at home

The attackers first assaulted Pathan’s sons, Afser and Zuber, while the wives locked the compound gate, pleading for a peaceful resolution. Ignoring the pleas, the gang broke the lock, threatened the family, and declared, “The law is in our hands.” They then targeted Dada Pathan on the plot, killing him, and damaged their own shop to fabricate a self-defense claim.

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Prior criminal records

Several attackers were involved in violent stone-throwing riots in Ohargaon in April 2023. Furkan Pathan also faces a serious POCSO-like case. Previous complaints by Dada Pathan against the gang had no effect.

(Photo: Shakeel Khan)