2 killed, 10 injured as police fight villagers to rescue kidnapped man in MP

The family of 52-year-old Ashok Kol, who was killed in an accident two months ago, abducted Sunny Dwivedi and beat him up, accusing him of involvement in the accident

Published on: Mar 16, 2025, 14:48:58 IST

By Shruti Tomar

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Bhopal/Mauganj: A senior Special Armed Force (SAF) officer was killed, and 10 other police personnel sustained injuries on Saturday while attempting to rescue a 24-year-old man who was abducted by villagers in Gadra village, Mauganj district of Madhya Pradesh, over an alleged road accident, police said.

In the attack, SAF Assistant Sub-Inspector Ramcharan Gautam was injured, along with 10 others. He was taken to a hospital where he died while undergoing treatment (PTI)

The abducted man, Sunny Dwivedi, was later found dead in Gadra village. Five people have been arrested till now, superintendent of police (Mauganj) Rasna Thakur said.

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The family of 52-year-old Ashok Kol, who was killed in an accident two months ago, abducted Dwivedi and beat him up, accusing him of involvement in the accident.

“The Kol family used to cultivate land owned by the Dwivedi family on lease. Later, Ashok purchased land adjacent to the Dwivedi family’s property. The Dwivedis allegedly had their eyes on this land, and when Ashok bought it, a dispute arose between the two families,” an officer said.

Two months ago, while returning from Mauganj, Ashok Kol’s bike collided with buffaloes, and he died on the spot. However, Ashok’s family alleged that the Dwivedi family had murdered him, the officer added.

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According to the police investigation, Ashok’s death was not a murder but an accident caused by the bike colliding with the buffaloes. Ashok’s family, dissatisfied with the police’s findings, abducted Dwivedi on Saturday while he was returning from his shop. Around 250 villagers also reached the spot where the Kol family thrashed Sunny.

Upon receiving the information, when the police team arrived in the village to rescue Dwivedi, the Kol family members, along with 200 people from the community, attacked the police with stones and lathis.

“In the attack, SAF Assistant Sub-Inspector Ramcharan Gautam was injured, along with 10 others. He was taken to a hospital where he died while undergoing treatment,” Thakur said.

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The district collector has imposed prohibitory orders under Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagrik Suraksha Sanhita in the village. “Two people, including an ASI, have been killed, and other policemen have sustained injuries,” Thakur said.

An FIR was registered against more than 50 people under the charger for murder, attempt to murder, abduction, and attack on civil servants while discharging their duties, Thakur added.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Shruti Tomar
I have spent over a decade chronicling Madhya Pradesh’s political and social landscape, covering politics, investigative journalism, crime, human interest, and government policy, blending sharp insight with ground‑level depth. I have closely tracked three assembly elections, three Lok Sabha elections, leadership transitions in MP while exposing governance lapses, tender irregularities, and flawed policy rollouts. My reports have revealed gaps in the Cheetah project, irregularities in medical education, rigging in recruitment exams, and loopholes in policy implementation. In crime reporting, I have moved beyond FIRs to map systemic patterns — from organised crime networks and gender‑based violence to custodial accountability — balancing urgency with sensitivity. My journalism is defined by a commitment to human interest. I have profiled the marginalised Bancchda community, documented atrocities against tribal groups, and highlighted efforts to preserve their culture through heritage liquor and revival of spiritual practices. I have reported on farmers struggling with failed MSP promises, giving voice to those often reduced to statistics in policy files. Passionate about field reporting, I have reported on rampant sand mining in Chambal and Narmada, pharmaceutical companies supplying medicines under altered names, the dire condition of schools and colleges, the plight of commercial sex workers, and skewed sex ratios in specific districts. Beyond deadlines, and as HT’s state correspondent and assistant editor in Madhya Pradesh, I engage with ministers, farmers, students, and activists, believing the best policy stories begin with a single human voice. A postgraduate in Journalism and Mass Communication, I also hold a diploma in sports journalism.Read More

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