Scrap of paper, sniffer dog crack murder of 70-year-old man

 

IMAGE IS AI GENERATE 

By Sumesh Rajan | January 9, 2026

Bhind, Madhya Pradesh, INDIA: The brutal murder of a 70-year-old farmer in Madhya Pradesh’s Gangepura village, which had remained a mystery for nearly two months, has been solved with the help of a torn scrap of paper and a sniffer dog. Police have arrested three persons, including the victim’s nephew and grandson, in what officials say was a planned killing stemming from a long-standing land dispute.

The victim, Shivnarayan Kaurav, was found dead in his agricultural field on the morning of November 15, his throat slit. With no eyewitnesses and no immediate leads, the crime had sent shockwaves through the village and posed a major challenge for investigators.

According to Sub-Divisional Police Officer Praveen Tripathi, the murder was the result of a bitter dispute over nearly 50 bighas (approximately 31 acres) of ancestral land. After the death of Shivnarayan’s sister, Surja Devi, her husband Ramswaroop Gautam had filed a court case claiming her share in the property. Shivnarayan supported his sister’s claim and testified in court, a move that angered his nephew Shivratan Kaurav and grandson Mahendra Kaurav, who had occupied the disputed land.

“Shivnarayan’s testimony became the trigger,” Tripathi said. “The accused believed he was standing in the way of their control over the property.”

Police said Shivratan and Mahendra conspired with a local resident, Badam Singh, to eliminate him. On the night of November 14–15, Shivnarayan was sleeping in his field to guard his crops when the attackers struck. He was allegedly killed on the spot with an axe, after which the assailants fled.

A breakthrough came when investigators found a small, crumpled piece of paper near the body, bearing partially legible names. Though it initially appeared insignificant, police preserved the paper as evidence. When a dog squad was called in, the sniffer dog was made to smell the paper and was led directly to Badam Singh’s house.

Villagers and family members also raised suspicion about Singh, prompting police to detain him for questioning. During sustained interrogation, he allegedly confessed to his role in the crime and named Shivratan and Mahendra as co-conspirators.

Both were subsequently arrested and, police said, confessed to the murder. An axe and an iron rod used in the killing were recovered on the basis of their statements.

All three accused have been produced before a court and remanded to police custody. Officials at Alampur police station said further investigation is underway to reconstruct the sequence of events and rule out the involvement of any additional suspects.

What began as a property dispute within a family ended in a cold-blooded killing. What appeared to be a perfect crime ultimately unravelled because of a discarded piece of paper and a sniffer dog that followed its scent.

Gangepura has returned to its routine, but the murder that once haunted its fields has finally been brought to light.