Six more held in Govindpur murder case; arrests climb to 18

Vijayapura: Police probing the Govindpur murder case under Chadachan police station limits have arrested six more accused, who were remanded to judicial custody on June 4, 2026.The arrested accused are Appugouda Lagamangouda alias Lakkanagouda Patil, 49; Shankreppa Madev Arakeri, 33; Appasab alias Kishan Shankar Bhovi, 56; Satteppa Jakkappa Biradar, 46; Sultan Madev Biradar, 24; and Mahesh Bellenni Biradar, 25.Superintendent of police Lakshman Nimbargi said 12 accused were earlier arrested and remanded to judicial custody on June 1, 2026. With the latest arrests, the total number of those held in the case has risen to 18.Six people, including five members of a family, were murdered on May 29, 2026, allegedly over a long-standing land dispute between two families.Police said the victims had gone to their farmland in Govindpur village to prepare the land for sowing when a group of armed assailants attacked them. The attackers allegedly used a licensed double-barrel gun, machetes and other sharp weapons. Investigators added that chilli powder was thrown at the victims before they were hacked to death.The deceased were identified as Dundappa Nirale, Shivaputra Nirale, Chandrakant (Chandu) Nirale, Rahul Nirale, Samarth Nirale and Shabbir Nadaf, a labourer associated with the family. Police said the violence stemmed from a dispute over nearly 25 acres of farmland purchased by the Nirale family a few months ago.After the killings, Chadachan police formed multiple special teams to trace the accused. They were reportedly tracked near the Karnataka-Maharashtra border after an extensive search operation.