Triple murder in Niuland: Brother kills three family members

DIMAPUR — In a chilling incident, a 40-year-old man allegedly hacked his younger brother and two minor children to death with an axe at Hakhizhe village in Niuland district in the early hours of Monday.

The accused, identified as Abdul Gofur, an agricultural labourer, was arrested soon after he surrendered to the Hakhizhe Village Council between 4 and 4.30 am, following which the Niuland Police was informed.

According to police sources, the motive behind the triple murder is under investigation. The accused is in police custody, and verification of his Inner Line Permit (ILP) document is pending with the administration.

Speaking to Eastern Mirror, the Hakhizhe Village Council said that the exact circumstances leading to the killings remain unclear. The victims—the accused person’s 35-year-old younger brother, the latter’s 12-year-old daughter and six-year-old son—reportedly sustained deep injuries to the head, neck, and chin.

Both brothers were engaged in agricultural work. According to the council, the accused had been staying alone with his minor nephew at the time of the incident.

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His wife and children had reportedly left for Assam 10–12 days earlier, and he had allegedly called his younger brother to stay with him in the field, citing fear of being alone with the child, as the location was far from residential areas.

On the night of the incident, the younger brother, accompanied by his six-year-old son and 12-year-old daughter, went to stay with the accused after receiving the call.  The following morning, the accused surrendered himself before the village authorities.

The village council further informed that the accused had been residing in Hakhizhe for around six to seven months, while the victim’s family had been settled there for several years.

The bodies have been sent to Dimapur District Hospital for autopsy. As of now, the motive behind the killings remains unclear.