Doorway feud turns fatal: Man kills brother in Dharwad village

Dharwad: A long-standing dispute over a common doorway between two brothers ended in a murder at Karadigudda village in Dharwad taluk on Monday evening.

The Chikkamath family lives in Kumbalakayi Oni of the village. Though it is a single house, younger brother Shrikant stayed in the front portion with his mother, while elder brother Mallayya lived in the rear portion with his wife and family. The only access to Mallayya’s portion was through Shrikant’s house, and frequent quarrels reportedly broke out between the brothers over opening and closing the connecting door between the two portions.

According to police, an argument erupted again on Monday evening over the same issue. During the quarrel, Mallayya allegedly tried to attack Shrikant with a knife. However, Shrikant reportedly escaped, snatched the knife from his brother and stabbed him before fleeing the spot.

Severely injured and bleeding profusely, Mallayya was first taken to the district hospital and later shifted to KIMS Hospital in Hubballi for advanced treatment during the night. Though doctors initially managed to stabilise him, he succumbed to his injuries on Tuesday morning due to excessive blood loss.

Rural police have registered a case and arrested the accused Shrikant. Superintendent of police Gunjan Arya confirmed the details of the incident.

Police said the brothers, who depended on farming on their small parcel of ancestral land, were frequently involved in minor disputes over household issues, which eventually escalated into a fatal attack.