A petty argument over building a new house has claimed a life in Jharkhand, where a son turned into a killer, savagely beating his own father to death and injuring his stepmother in a fit of uncontrollable anger.
Residents of Baihatu village in Kumardungi, West Singhbhum, are reeling from the gruesome patricide. The feud ignited between Satyawan Pan and his son Prakash when they clashed on where to erect their new family home. Tensions boiled over in their courtyard, transforming words into weapons.
Prakash seized a wooden stick and rained blows on his father without mercy. Satyawan collapsed, lifeless, as blood stained the ground where family bonds once stood.
Yashoda Devi, the stepmother who stepped in to de-escalate, became the next target. Badly hurt, she fought for her life and was admitted to Chaibasa Sadar Hospital in critical condition.
Kumardungi police responded promptly, taking custody of Satyawan’s body for autopsy and initiating raids to capture Prakash, who fled the scene. ‘Family disputes must not end in tragedy; we’re intensifying efforts to apprehend the accused,’ police assured.
The village buzzes with fear and fury, with locals drawing parallels to a similar axe murder in Ranchi’s Kazi Baru last year, where a son killed his father over liquor money. These recurring horrors underscore deep-rooted issues in rural family dynamics.
Experts call for community counseling programs to bridge generational gaps and prevent such irreversible acts. For now, justice remains elusive as Prakash evades capture, leaving a family shattered and a community on edge.