Thane villager beheaded over land dispute

The incident took place shortly before night on Wednesday when victim Praemchand Kanojia was sleeping in the courtyard of his house. He was attacked by the assailants in his neck with a sharp weapon, they said.

Nalla Sopara police have arrested five persons including two couples in connection with the gruesome incident which rocked the Borshet Pada locality of the township. All the arrested - Narayan K Kadu, Laxmi Narayan Kadu, Maju Krishna Rathod, Krishna Rathod and Vijay Ramchandra Kadu- have been charged under sections 302, 143,147,148,149 and 504 of the IPC.

Senior Police Inspector Mukund Mahajan said the accused and the complainant Datta V Kadu (35) had a long standing dispute over the ownership rights of some forest land plots.

The accused had a day before bashed up the complainant as they were annoyed on a police complaint being filed by him. A day later, the group reached Kadu`s house where Kanojia was killed during the attack. Police have launched a manhunt for the killers.