A 35-year-old farmer has been arrested for allegedly beating his father to death following a prolonged family dispute over marriage in Karnataka’s Chitradurga district, police said on Saturday.

The incident occurred late Wednesday night in Hosadurga taluk. The accused has been identified as S Ningaraja, while the victim was his father, T Sannaningappa.

Assault while victim was asleep

According to police, Ningaraja allegedly attacked his father while he was asleep at their residence. He is accused of striking Sannaningappa on the head with an iron rod after an argument earlier in the evening.

The case came to light after a complaint was filed by the victim’s elder son, S Maruti, who works at a private firm in Hosadurga town.

Long-running family tensions

As per the complaint, Ningaraja was reportedly upset with his father for not arranging his marriage, despite him being 35 years old. He is said to have harboured resentment that his father had married twice, while he himself remained unmarried, even as many of his peers in the village had settled down with families.

Police said Maruti told investigators that their father frequently scolded Ningaraja for what he described as a “lazy attitude” and for not working sincerely on the family’s agricultural land. These repeated confrontations allegedly deepened tensions within the household.

Threat issued before fatal attack

On Wednesday evening, the accused allegedly argued with his father during dinner over the same issue and is said to have threatened to kill him. Later that night, he allegedly carried out the assault.

Around midnight, Maruti received a phone call from a relative informing him about the attack. Sannaningappa was rushed to a government hospital in Hosadurga, where doctors declared him brought dead.

Murder case registered

Police have registered a case of murder under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and taken Ningaraja into custody. Officials said further investigation is underway to reconstruct the sequence of events and recover additional evidence.