Bloodshed in Karnataka's Kodagu: Family of 4 murdered in sleep over coffee crop dispute?

A family of four, including a six-year-old girl, was hacked to death in their sleep in Kodagu’s Begur village. Police suspect a dispute over coffee crop earnings led to the killings. The prime suspect, Naagi’s husband Girish, was arrested in Kerala.

A brutal murder in Begur village, Ponnampet taluk, has sent shockwaves across Kodagu. A family of four, including a six-year-old girl, was found slaughtered in their home early Friday, with police suspecting they were killed in their sleep.

The victims – Naagi (32), her daughter Kaveri, and her elderly parents Kariya (74) and Gowri (70) – were found in a pool of blood, hacked to death with a billhook machete, which has been recovered from the scene.

The key suspect? Naagi’s husband, Girish (38), a habitual drinker who had reportedly been in a long-standing dispute over the family’s coffee crop. He was arrested later that day from his native village in Athimala, Wayanad, Kerala.

A crime rooted in coffee?

The slain family, who worked as daily wage laborers on coffee estates, also owned a small one-acre coffee plantation. This year, coffee prices soared to a record high of ₹12,000 per bag, making their harvest significantly more valuable. Police suspect that a dispute over the coffee crop earnings may have triggered the gruesome killings.

According to sources, Naagi and Girish, who had been married for just over a year, frequently argued. Though Girish had returned to Kerala, Naagi reportedly brought him back two months ago. On Thursday night, he was at the house with the family. By Friday morning, the four were dead, and Girish had vanished.

Hunt for the suspect ends in Kerala

As panic gripped the village, the Kodagu police launched a massive manhunt, suspecting Girish’s involvement. With the help of Kerala’s Thalappuzha police, he was nabbed in Athimala around 5 pm.

"Based on initial findings, Girish is the prime suspect. The forensic team and dog squad have collected crucial evidence, and further investigation is underway," said IGP Bhoralingayya, who visited the crime scene along with Kodagu SP Ramarajan.

The quiet village of Begur, surrounded by dense coffee plantations, has never witnessed such horror. The gruesome killings have left the community in deep shock, with many questioning how a dispute over coffee could lead to such a devastating crime.

As the investigation unfolds, police are working to piece together the exact motive behind the massacre that wiped out an entire family in the dead of night.