A violent business dispute turned fatal in Chhattisgarh’s Korea district after a 60-year-old BJP-backed leader, Bharat Singh, and two of his relatives were killed in a targeted attack.

The incident occurred in Katgodi village following a verbal altercation over a long-standing sand mining rivalry. According to law enforcement, the suspects rammed a light tipper truck into the victims’ car, jamming the vehicle’s doors and trapping the occupants inside. While initially suspected to be an accidental fire caused by the collision, forensic experts believe the attackers intentionally poured fuel on the car and set it ablaze.

Bharat Singh died at the scene, while his brother, Nagendra Singh, later succumbed to severe burn injuries at a hospital. A third relative was fatally assaulted by the group during the confrontation, and another remains hospitalized with injuries.

Police have arrested four members of the rival family—identified as Vishal, Satyakumar, Akshay, and Mahendar. Meanwhile, the Opposition Congress party has seized on the incident, alleging that illegal sand mining operations are operating under political patronage in the state.