Bhaiyalal alias Bhaiyan Kol, 35, was found dead in a well in Bigaudi on the night of September 16.
According to police and local reports, Bhaiyalal had gone out that evening and was later seen with three men near the well. A dispute reportedly broke out while the men were drinking.
Police suspect that Bhaiyalal was assaulted and strangled before his body was thrown into the well. The exact sequence of events and the motive behind the killing are still being investigated.
Police have arrested Afsar Khan, 35, Ismail alias Pappu Khan, 49, and Ajmer Khan, 35, all residents of nearby Badarkha village, in connection with the case.
An FIR has been registered at Tala police station under provisions relating to murder and common intention. The SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act has also been invoked, as Bhaiyalal belonged to the Kol tribal community.
“Muslims chopped my son like a vegetable. We will not live here” — say Hindu villagers in Maihar, MP.
A Hindu man was killed, thrown into a well, and his family is now being threatened with the same fate.
Police arrested 3.
Fear in the village is so high that Hindu families… pic.twitter.com/V3eXzndeWh
— Team Hindu United (@TeamHinduUnited) September 22, 2026
‘They chopped my son like a vegetable’
Following the killing, a video circulated on social media in which a family member is heard describing the alleged brutality of the attack and expressing fear for the family’s safety.
The statement that “they chopped my son like a vegetable” has since become a focal point of the anger surrounding the case. The allegation reflects the family’s account of the killing; the police investigation is still underway to establish exactly how Bhaiyalal died.
The incident has left residents deeply concerned. Some families have reportedly written “घर बिकाऊ है” — house for sale — outside their homes and said they were considering leaving the village because of fears over their safety.
Earlier murder in the same village
The latest killing has also brought an earlier case back into public discussion.
In 2025, another resident of Bigaudi, Shiv Narayan Tiwari, was reportedly killed during a dispute involving drinking. The supplied report says he was allegedly stabbed in the neck during a drinking session at his home and later died while being taken to Rewa for treatment.
Police had named Sahil Khan as the accused in that case.
The incident had triggered anger among villagers. A Hindu mahapanchayat was subsequently held in the area in August 2025, with demands for action in the case and compensation for the victim’s family.
The situation later became tense, with a structure associated with the accused reportedly being set on fire.
The latest murder has revived memories of that incident because both cases occurred in the same village and involved accused persons from the neighbouring area.
Families say they fear for their safety
Bigaudi is a small village, and two serious killings within a little over a year have heightened anxiety among residents.
The latest incident has particularly worried families who say they already remember the tension that followed the earlier murder. Some residents have reportedly expressed a desire to sell their homes and leave the village.
SP visits village, assures residents of security
Following the killing, Maihar Superintendent of Police Awadhesh Pratap Singh visited Bigaudi on September 22.
The SP reportedly assured villagers that there was no need for them to leave their homes and said adequate police deployment had been made to maintain law and order.
Additional security personnel and patrols have been deployed in the area to prevent any further escalation. Officials have also urged residents not to panic or act on rumours.
The police investigation is continuing to establish the exact sequence of events leading to Bhaiyalal Kol’s death, the role of each accused and the motive behind the alleged murder.
