Man attacks house of younger sister’s in-laws in Bannerghatta over property dispute

BENGALURU: Four men arrived in an MUV car and attacked a house at Mylasandra Dinnepalya near Bannerghatta in Anekal taluk on the outskirts of Bengaluru on Friday night. The house belongs to one Vishwanath Reddy and, according to his son and daughter-in-law, the attack was carried out by the daughter-in-law’s brother and his associates over a property dispute.

Vishwanath Reddy had just finished dinner and was relaxing outside the house with his wife and daughter-in-law. At that time, four men, who came in a car, rushed toward the house with swords and machetes. Seeing the long swords and machetes, the Vishwanath Reddy family ran inside and shut the door.

The men tried to smash the door with long swords and machetes. When that didn’t work, they shattered the window glass of the house. They also smashed the glass of a Toyota Innova car parked in front of the house. They destroyed whatever they could find, including a bike. They also ransacked a nearby clothing shop and assaulted the shop owner as well as a bike rider. After that, the four men escaped.

Panic had spread among locals due to the attack by unidentified persons. “If the door had opened, they would have killed us. We don’t know who came to kill us. We have no enmity with anyone”, said house owner Vishwanath Reddy. Footage from CCTV shows the four men barging into the clothing shop and creating a ruckus, chasing the public and attempting to assault them and later fleeing in the car.

According to Vishwanath Reddy’s daugher-in-law Divya and son Arjun Reddy, the attack was carried out by her elder brother Suman Reddy and gang over a property dispute that has been going on for the last two years. The brother was insisting that Divya sign a release deed, but she had not. Divya had said she does not want a share in the property, the couple noted.

Even then, threats were made to finish off Divya and her family. On Friday night, Suman came in his own Endeavour car along with three youths and was waiting for his sister’s husband Arjun. When Arjun was not found, they attacked the house. The owner of the nearby shop who tried to intervene, Bheem Ram Chowdary, and a passerby, Rithwik, were also assaulted by Suman and his associates on the legs with a sword.

“My husband Arjun and I have a threat to our lives. My elder brother Suman and sister-in-law Pavitra are behind this for the property. My brother came to kill as per sister-in-law Pavitra’s plan”, alleged Divya.