A soldier in the Indian army assaulted his wife and in-laws in an inebriated condition in Kondaskoppa village on Wednesday night.
When the police arrested him, he feigned illness. But he escaped from the district hospital and got himself admitted in the army hospital on Thursday.
Hemanth Vithal Rangani (26), who was on holiday, attacked his mother in-law Jayashree Desai and father in-law Lakshman Desai with a machete. He also pushed around his wife Deepa (22). He was angry that his in-laws did not send his wife with him when he went to their house at 1.30 a.m., the police said.
His in-laws have said that he had tortured their daughter for months, after their marriage last year. She had complained to them about it, but they had asked her to adjust to it.
Deepa had gone to her parents home at Kondaskoppa during Deepavali. But the accused came back on leave last week. He went to the Desai family home in Kondaskoppa after midnight and demanded that his wife be sent with him, on his motorcycle.
When Lakshman Desai and his wife asked him to take her away in the morning, he got upset. Using a machete, he hit his mother in-law on her head. She began to bleed. He also attacked his father in-law and pushed his wife around when she intervened. The neighbours who heard their cries, caught him and called the police.
Hemant Rangani said that he was beaten up by the villagers and asked the police to take him to the hospital. But he ran away from the hospital toilet.
The injured are being treated in the district hospital. While Hemant Rangani’s mother in-law is serious, his father in-law is recovering. His wife was discharged after first aid. A case has been registered.
Deputy Commissioner of Police Vikram Amte said that investigation was on and that the accused would be produced before a magistrate after he was discharged from the army hospital.
