​​​​​​​Champua (Kendujhar), Oct 15: In a shocking turn of events, a man allegedly set his in-laws’ house on fire after locking them inside, following a drunken altercation in Champua area of Odisha’s Kendujhar district late last night.

The incident took place in Mangalpur village under the Jamudalak panchayat under Champua police limits in the district late last night.

According to reports, the accused, identified as Ankur Sadangi from Shankarapashi village in Keonjhar, was married to the younger daughter of Shiva Naik of Mangalpur village. As the couple did not have a son, they had been living with the wife’s parents in Mangalpur for some time, along with their two-and-a-half-year-old daughter.

On the night of the incident, Ankur allegedly returned home in an inebriated state and engaged in a heated argument with family members over his drinking habits. After having dinner, he went to sleep in one of the rooms, while his wife, daughter, and in-laws were resting in a separate room.

At around 11 PM, Ankur reportedly locked the room from the outside where his in-laws were sleeping and set the house on fire before fleeing the scene.

Alerted by the flames and cries for help, neighbours quickly rushed to the spot, rescued the family members, and informed the fire department. Firefighters from Champua promptly arrived and brought the fire under control.

While no casualties have been reported, the property sustained significant damage. Police are currently on the lookout for the accused, who remains absconding.

An investigation into the incident is underway.