A horrifying incident occurred in Amoda village under the Chhoti Tummi gram panchayat in Madhya Pradesh's Anuppur district on Saturday morning, where a 32-year-old man named Prem Singh Gond bludgeoned four members of his own family to death with a wooden stick. The village lies roughly 60 kilometres from the Sarai police post and approximately 16 kilometres before Ghanghuti village in Umaria district. Alongside the four fatalities, four other relatives sustained serious injuries and are currently undergoing medical treatment.
Tied Up After Midnight Assault on Village Priest
Prem Singh Gond had been staying at the residence of his maternal grandparents in Amoda alongside his mother, Anupia Bai. During the intervening night of Friday and Saturday, around 1:00 am to 2:00 am, the youth attacked the local temple's 62-year-old priest, Ganga Singh, with a wooden staff, inflicting severe injuries on him. Villagers and relatives immediately transported the priest to a hospital for emergency medical attention.
Alarmed by the unprovoked violence, local residents and family members restrained Prem Singh by tying his hands and feet with ropes and seating him outside near the house. After remaining quiet for a few hours, between 4:00 am and 5:00 am on Saturday, his 50-year-old mother Anupia Bai assumed he had calmed down and would cause no further harm. Moved by maternal affection, she untied the ropes binding his hands and feet.
Violent Rampage Following Release
The moment his bonds were loosened, Prem Singh Gond grabbed a nearby wooden stick and launched a violent assault on his 70-year-old maternal grandmother, Bhanni Bai Gond. Hearing the commotion, his 75-year-old maternal grandfather, Sampat Singh Gond, rushed in to protect her, but the attacker turned the wooden stick against him with repeated blows, causing the elderly couple to collapse on the ground. When Anupia Bai intervened to halt the violence, her son assaulted her as well.
The rampage continued as the youth targeted his maternal uncle and his uncle's daughters inside the dwelling. Sampat Singh Gond, Bhanni Bai, and Anupia Bai died at the scene. His maternal cousin Monika was rushed to a medical college in critical condition, where she subsequently succumbed to her injuries during treatment, bringing the total death toll to four.
Uncle and Nieces Injured, Treatment Underway in Shahdol
The attacker's maternal uncle, Chain Singh, and three young girls sustained extensive trauma during the attack. While the violence was underway, Chain Singh's elder daughter managed to flee toward the adjoining forest area and alerted her father about the attack unfolding at their residence. As Chain Singh hurried home to intervene, Prem Singh struck him, fracturing his hand and inflicting serious head injuries.
Neighbours gathered at the spot after hearing screams, eventually overpowering the accused and tying him back up with ropes. Superintendent of Police Vikrant Murab visited the village to inspect the scene, and a forensic team was summoned to collect material evidence. The injured were moved to the medical hospital in Shahdol. Chain Singh's young daughter Bharti remains in critical condition and is receiving intensive care in the ICU.
History of Domestic Violence and Mental Instability
Chain Singh disclosed that his sister Anupia's marital home was in Mardari village near Naurozabad in Umaria district. Her husband passed away approximately five years ago, leaving behind two sons, with Prem Singh being the elder. Prem Singh had been married, but due to his routine domestic abuse toward his wife, she had left him about three years ago.
According to relatives, Prem Singh suffered from prolonged mental instability. Anupia Bai had arrived at her maternal home in Amoda about a week earlier seeking medical care for her own ailments. Prem Singh had arrived in the village just three days before the incident took place, leading up to the assault on the priest and the fatal attack on his family members early Saturday morning.
