Fifteen killed in India as families feud over path
Source: Reuters
LUCKNOW, India, Nov 17 (Reuters) - Fifteen people were killed in northern India on Friday as two families fought a pitched battle over the right of passage on a village path, police said. Eight of the dead were innocent villagers, killed trying to stop members of the feuding families -- armed with guns, axes and iron rods -- from attacking each other in Sitapur district, 150 km (90 miles) north of Lucknow, state capital of Uttar Pradesh. Three children and two women were among the dead. The feud between the two large families dates back to the 1990s, one police officer said. "A member of one family was killed way back in 1998 over the same dispute after which four members of the rival family were put behind bars and are still facing murder charges," Deputy Inspector General of Police Subhash Chandra said. Police said the latest violence followed the recent release on bail of one of the arrested men who then organised an attack on the other family. Lawlessness is common in many parts of Uttar Pradesh, the country's most populous state, with killings fuelled by caste, religious and family feuds being reported regularly.
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