Jharkhand man murders mother, sister over land row; bodies burnt, buried in cave

A 68-year-old woman and her 27-year-old daughter were murdered by a group of 13 people, including the woman's own son, over a land dispute in Jharkhand's West Singhbhum district.The accused burnt their bodies using diesel and buried the remains inside a cave in the Dawaburu hills to destroy evidence. Police have arrested seven people, including the woman's son, while six others remain at large.The victims have been identified as Kuni Kui, 68, and her daughter Namsi Birua, 27. The conspiracy was aimed at taking control of their land and involved family members, village youths and other villagers.According to the preliminary police investigation, the dispute began in June 2026 when Kuni Kui and Yadunath Birua, also known as Yadu, had a disagreement over the cutting of a field boundary. The dispute gradually escalated into a family feud. Police allege that around 13 people subsequently conspired to murder Kuni Kui and her daughter to take control of their land.One of the accused was Tribhuvan Birua, 36, Kuni Kui's son from her first marriage. His involvement in the conspiracy has added a disturbing dimension to the case. After murdering the mother and daughter, the accused took their bodies to a cave in the Dawaburu hills to destroy evidence, police said.They poured diesel over the bodies and set them on fire before burying the remains inside the cave.Police later recovered burnt bones from the cave based on information provided by the accused. A Circle Officer and a Forensic team from Ranchi were present during the recovery and collected evidence using scientific methods.The case came to light on October 27, when police received information about the disappearance of Kuni Kui and Namsi Birua.Police constituted a special investigation team to investigate the disappearance and trace the women.The team relied on technical evidence and confidential information to identify suspects and question them. Police said interrogation revealed the involvement of seven people in the double murder.Police arrested seven accused in connection with the case. They have been identified as:Yadunath Birua alias Yadu, Ladura Birua, Rajaram Birua, Chedre Birua alias Chandra Birua, Mahti Birua, Dui Kodakel alias Lakhan Kodakel, Tribhuvan Birua, the victim's sonAll seven were produced before the court and sent to judicial custody on Friday. Police are conducting raids to arrest the remaining six accused involved in the conspiracy.- Ends