New Delhi: A 32-year-old Dalit man and his parents were shot dead in Madhya Pradesh's Damoh district on Tuesday after he had been accused of staring at the wife of one of the assailants, police said.
The 32-year-old victim's two younger brothers were injured in the attack while the main accused has been arrested, officials said.
The incident took place around 6.30 am at Devran village under Dehat police station limits, some 20 km from Damoh district headquarters, Superintendent of Police D R Teniwar said.
Six assailants, who belonged to the same village, allegedly shot dead the 60-year-old Dalit man, his 58-year-old wife and their 32-year-old son.
The elderly couple's two other sons, aged 28 and 30, were injured in the attack and undergoing treatment at the district hospital, the official said.
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Inspector General of Sagar zone Anurag told reporters after visiting the village that there had been a dispute after the couple's eldest son -- who was killed in the attack -- was accused of often staring at the wife of the main accused, Jagdish Patel.
Patel was arrested after the killings, the IG added.
A case was registered against Patel and five others on the charges of murder under the Indian Penal Code as well as provisions of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, SP Teniwar said.
A search was on for the five absconding accused, he added.
Divisional Commissioner Mukesh Shukla, who also visited the village, directed the district collector to take action against encroachments on government land by the accused and his family.
State Congress chief Kamal Nath demanded a high-level inquiry into the killing of three members of the Dalit family. The government should ensure the security of the family and provide all possible help to them, he added.
Meanwhile, Collector S Krishna Chaitanya told ANI, "The police team is present on the spot to investigate the matter. The police will also investigate if there are any land-related issues or any old disputes. The matter will be investigated and strict action will be taken accordingly."