6 held for murder over land dispute

In a tragic incident rooted in a long-standing land dispute, six members of a family have been arrested for allegedly murdering a man in Rarang village of Moorang tehsil in Kinnaur district. The deceased, identified as Krishan Lal, was attacked on June 15 while returning home with his wife from their orchard.

According to the police, the accused—Dawa Gialchhan (60), his wife Sem Kali (53), their son Praveen (34), his wife Rita (35), Suman (28) and Poonam (32), all residents of Rarang—reportedly intercepted the couple and launched a violent assault using iron rods, sticks, stones and sickles. The attack left Krishan Lal critically injured, along with others including Kuman and Dandup Giacho.

Krishan Lal was initially taken to the Regional Hospital in Reckong Peo and later referred to Indira Gandhi Medical College (IGMC), Shimla, where he succumbed to his injuries on June 17.

Chunni Devi, wife of the deceased, filed a complaint with the police, alleging premeditated assault. Kinnaur SP Abhishek Shekhar confirmed that the dispute escalated into a violent confrontation on June 15, following which both families lodged FIRs against each other at the Moorang police station.

Subsequently, Section 103 (murder) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) 2023 was added to the FIR filed by Krishan Lal’s family after his death. SP Shekhar further confirmed that all six accused have been arrested and that an investigation is currently underway to establish the sequence of events and motives behind the attack.

Himachal Tribune