A long-standing family dispute over land claimed the life of a Cooch Behar resident on Sunday.

Nazrul Islam, a 45-year-old, died in a clash with his brothers and other relatives in the Shakunibala Loharpul area of Patlakhawa gram panchayat. The area is located about 15km from Cooch Behar town under Pundibari police station.

Police have arrested three people in connection with the incident.

The arrested persons are Nazrul's brothers Tafazzal Haque and Mizanur Rahman and a sister-in-law, Jharna Bibi.

The incident reportedly occurred early Sunday morning.

Local sources claim that Nazrul used to live in the area with his three brothers, Tafazzal Haque, Mozammel Haque and Mizanur Rahman.

However, a long-standing dispute over the possession of a piece of land had created hostilities between the brothers.

The tensions escalated when Nazrul recently started construction work on the disputed land.

"It is alleged that his brothers obstructed him,” a source said.

On Sunday, a heated argument over the construction quickly turned into a physical altercation between the brothers. Some more people joined in the fight. Allegedly, Nazrul was attacked with sharp weapons and bamboo sticks and suffered serious injuries.

He collapsed to the ground, bleeding profusely. Neighbours rescued him and took him to the Pundibari rural hospital, where the doctor on duty declared him dead.

Two persons were also reportedly injured in the clash.

Following the incident, tension gripped the area. Upon receiving the news, a large police force led by Pundibari police station officer-in-charge Rahul Talukdar arrived at the scene and brought the situation under control.

The police said that based on the preliminary probe, the murder appears to have stemmed from a land dispute involving the deceased's family members. An investigation has begun. Additional police forces have been deployed in the area to prevent unrest.