Three members of the family of a journalist were reportedly hacked to death over a property dispute in Chhattisgarh on Friday, January 10. The incident took place in Jagannathpur village of Khadgawan police station area of Surajpur district in Chhattisgarh when the three victims which included mother, father and brother of the Aaj Tak news channel journalist named Santosh Topo were working in their fields.
According to reports, Santosh Topo’s family had an old property dispute going on with his uncle (father’s brother). On the fateful day, Santosh Topo’s father Maghe Topo (57), mother Basanti Topo (55) and brother Naresh Topo (30) were working in their fields when about seven people from his uncle’s side reached there.
A verbal spat started between both the parties which soon escalated into violence. The other party started attacking Santosh Topo’s family using axes and swords. His mother and brother sustained head injuries and reported died on the spot. His father was taken to Ambikapur Medical College where he succumbed to his injuries. Santosh’s other brother Umesh Topo, who was also present there, was able to escape the attack. He went running to the village to inform the villagers about the attack on his family.
The police reached the sport on receiving information about the incident. The bodies of the victims were sent for postmortem and a case was filed against the culprits.
Earlier this month, a journalist named Mukesh Chandrakar was found brutally murdered in Bijapur district of the state. The police arrested Congress leader and contractor Suresh Chandrakar in relation to the murder. Mukesh Chnadrakar’s dead body was recovered by the police in a freshly cemented septic tank on Suresh Chandrakar’s property.