# Father-daughter hacked to death in Belagavi gram panchayat over property 2026-09-16T12:46:44+00:00 | India | Indian Opinion Desk Corroboration: 3 independent outlets A 67-year-old former soldier, Rudrappa Kundaragi, and his 26-year-old daughter Shashikala were hacked to death inside the Avaradi gram panchayat office in Karnataka's Belagavi district on September 16. Police say the attack, by Rudrappa's brothers Basappa and Sangappa Kundaragi and his nephew Madivalappa, stemmed from a long-running dispute over 38 guntas of ancestral land. India Today and Hindustan Times report the accused fled and a search was launched. Rudrappa's driver was seriously injured. The Hindu reports that on September 18, police arrested the three accused. They were produced in court and remanded in judicial custody. The Hindu adds that the victims had gone to the office to enter their names in a property register following a court order, and that the accused attacked them with sickles and stones. Superintendent of Police K. Ramarajan constituted a special investigation team that made the arrests. ## Indian Opinion Analysis India Today and Hindustan Times reported the crime on the day it happened, framing it as a shocking attack with the accused at large. The Hindu, reporting three days later, focused on the swift police response: arrests, judicial remand, and a named special team. The earlier coverage emphasised the brutality and the family feud, The Hindu framed the outcome as a law-and-order success. Together they show a police force that, after an initial manhunt, made arrests within 48 hours. The accused remain in custody, with trial pending. A court had ordered the partition of 38 guntas of land among three family members. Rudrappa had allegedly sold the portion allotted to him but later sought a share in the remaining property as well, which reportedly led to continued friction among the brothers. ## Coverage - indiatoday.in (neutral report) Straight crime reporting, no editorialising beyond the facts of the attack. - hindustantimes.com (neutral report) Wire-copy style, identical facts, no slant discernible. - thehindu.com (neutral report) Straight reporting on arrests, no framing beyond police action and charges. Tags: Belagavi, Rudrappa Kundaragi, Shashikala Kundaragi Canonical: https://indianopinion.org/ex-soldier-daughter-hacked-to-death-in-belagavi-gram-panchayat-office/ License: Summary and commentary (c) Indian Opinion, reusable with attribution. Facts belong to the linked sources. Cite: https://indianopinion.org/ex-soldier-daughter-hacked-to-death-in-belagavi-gram-panchayat-office/#story-in-brief