Man opens fire during family property dispute; five injured

 

 

A bitter property dispute within a family exploded into shocking violence on Wednesday morning in Gumgaon village under Hingna Police Station limits. What began as a petty argument over parking space ended with gunshots, brutal assaults, and five people lying injured - two of them fighting for life after being shot at. The incident has once again highlighted how long simmering family disputes, when left unresolved, can spiral out of control with devastating consequences. According to police, roots of the clash lie in a decades old property feud within the Deotale family, which has farm land in Gumgaon for generations. Though the joint family split years ago, the houses of the separated brothers still stand next to each other which kept tensions brewing. The dispute initially existed between Chandrakant Deotale and his brother Nana Jagannath Deotale (87). After their time, the bitterness carried forward to the next generation, particularly between their sons. On Tuesday, Praveen Chandrakant Deotale (42), who works in Chandrapur, arrived at the village with his wife for a short vacation. An argument broke out later that day when Praveen parked a vehicle in front of his house. It angered his uncle Nana.

 

According to police, Praveen was outside his house, filling soil into plant pots in the morning hours. Nana allegedly arrived at the spot and began abusing him verbally. What followed was a prolonged and heated exchange, with both men refusing to back down. As voices rose, a relative living nearby alerted Nana’s son, Suresh alias Gajju Deotale (50), and another family member, Nitin Chandrakant Deotale (45). Sensing trouble, Praveen also called his friend Vijay Shankar Manawar (35) to come over. Once everyone gathered, the argument resumed with greater intensity. Within minutes, shouting turned into pushing and the situation quickly slipped out of control.

 

Police said that during the scuffle, Nana went inside his house and returned carrying a licensed 12-bore rifle. Before anyone could react, he allegedly fired two shots. One bullet struck Praveen in the stomach, while the other hit Vijay in the abdomen.