Killari is located in the Ausa taluka of the former Osmanabad district (now Latur district), It is a village. The village deity is Nilakanteshwar, who is highly revered by the locals. One of the inhabitants of Killari was Nilkant, the son of Bhaurao Helambe. From a young age, Nilkant was known to be very stubborn.
As a young man, Nilakant farmed after completing fourth grade and also operated a shop in the village's weekly market for two or three days a week. At the age of 24, he acquired a horse for trading purposes. However, he soon learned that the Razakars were oppressing people on behalf of the Nizam in the Umarga-Tuljapur-Latur and Bidar regions. The taxes imposed on goods transported from the village to the farm, farm produce brought to the house, and items traded outside the village were exorbitant and often exceeded the value of the goods themselves. This practice was known as "Croregiri" and was worth crores of rupees. Nilkant was caught up in this situation, and despite presenting all the relevant facts, the unjust taxes were not reduced.
In response, the Razakars began preparing for a fight, which Nilakant could not tolerate. Upon returning to Killari, he informed his friends of the situation. As they learned of the various unjust incidents occurring, his friends also began preparing to take action against them. Whenever he learned of any injustice, he would become angry and demand that the perpetrator be held accountable. He then joined the freedom fighters' movement and, along with a group of 55 young villagers, engaged in land movement activities. He encouraged them to refuse to pay government revenue.
They all took part in the morning prabhat pheri and the night flag-hoisting movement. Whenever the Razakars pursued them while spreading the message of freedom from village to village, they would go into hiding, often staying in villages or on farms for four or five days.
In May 1948, the youth of Killary village joined the Arya Samaj movement, creating an atmosphere of dissent against the Nizam government. In response, the Razakars made a plan to suppress and dismantle it. Inadvertently, they caught several freedom fighters one by one, including Nilkant. He was sentenced to six months in jail. As the number of imprisoned freedom fighters increased in Osmanabad jail, Nilakant Helambe was transferred to Gulbarga jail.