Rourkela: A man allegedly bludgeoned his wife, daughter-in-law and four-year-old granddaughter to death with a hammer on Wednesday night in Deogarh district following a heated argument with his wife.The accused fled soon after the killings. On Thursday, police registered a murder case and sent the bodies for a post-mortem, while a manhunt has been launched to trace him.The triple murder took place at Gariapali village under Kundheigola police station limits.According to the police, Ramesh Garia (52) lived with his wife Gul (44), daughter-in-law Lipi (26) and granddaughter Ishani (four). His two sons, who work as drivers, were not present and they often stayed outside due to their work. Around 11 pm on Wednesday, Ramesh allegedly picked up a quarrel with his wife. As the argument escalated, Gul ran to Lipi’s room seeking refuge.Ramesh reportedly followed her and in a fit of rage, attacked Gul first, followed by Lipi, who protested, and the child, striking them repeatedly on the head with a hammer. All three died on the spot.Ramesh’s 19-year-old niece, Payal, who was sleeping in the same room, fled by jumping through the window and informed her father, Hemant, who stays in an adjacent house. By the time Hemant arrived, Ramesh had fled. Around the same time, one of Ramesh’s sons, Dhiren Garia (30), also returned home from duty. Subsequently, they both alerted Kundheigola police.A police team reached the spot and guarded the bodies overnight. On Thursday morning, Kundheigola police, along with a scientific team, examined the scene. Officers seized a blood-stained hammer suspected to be the murder weapon.Deogarh SP Anil Kumar Mishra and SDPO Ramesh Mahana also visited the village. “The exact motive and circumstances leading to the crime are under probe,” the SDPO said.Based on Dhiren’s complaint, police registered a murder case against Ramesh. Preliminary inquiries suggest the accused frequently quarrelled with his wife.“We are searching for the accused,” inspector in-charge Johan Kujur of Kundheigola police station said.
