Ranchi, Nov 2 (PTI) A 30-year-old man has been arrested for allegedly murdering his wife and mother-in-law with an iron rod in Jharkhand's Ranchi district over a family dispute, police said on Monday.
Both victims succumbed to their injuries during treatment at state-run Rajendra Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS) here on Sunday.
The deceased were identified as Mamta Devi (30) and Sonia Devi (50), both residents of Tatisilway area, a police officer said.
The incident happened in Tatisilway police station area on Saturday night.
The accused, Sawan Birhor, a resident of Angara area, arrived at his in-laws' house and soon engaged in an argument with his wife.
It soon escalated, and in a fit of rage, he picked up an iron rod lying nearby and assaulted his wife, Mamta, with it.
When his mother-in-law came to his wife's rescue, he hit her as well with the iron rod.
"Both victims were initially taken to a local hospital, where doctors referred them to RIMS. They died during the course of treatment on Sunday," Tatisilway police station officer-in-charge Hanse Oraon said.
The accused was arrested on Sunday after an FIR was lodged on the basis of the statement of Mamta's brother Pawan Mahli.
The iron rod used in the crime was seized.
Police are interrogating the accused to ascertain the reason behind the killings, he added.
(This story has not been edited by THE WEEK and is auto-generated from PTI)