BENGALURU: Before he succumbed to injuries sustained in a brutal assault by two youths over the use of a water tap, the paying guest (PG) owner told his son that he would return after getting stitches for his head injuries and they would file a complaint with CCTV footage.Matle Madhavan, a resident of 1st A Cross, OMBR Layout, on Kasturinagar Main Road in east Bengaluru, succumbed to injuries while undergoing treatment at a private hospital within 90 minutes of being attacked with a cricket bat by two students, Rakesh, 21, of Cox Town and Don Brite Son, 20, from Jeevanahalli, over washing their legs with tap water inside Lakshmi Narasimha Gents PG Monday.The students appeared again in front of the PG two and a half hours after their first confrontation with the owner’s family. During their second visit, the duo threatened to kill the owner, prompting him to bring out a cricket bat to drive them away.Speaking to TOI, his son, Mahesh, a class 10 student, said, “We rushed my severely injured father to a nearby private hospital. On the way, he told us, ‘The boys came back only with the intention of killing one of us. I will return after getting stitches for my head injuries. Keep the CCTV footage of the attack ready. We will lodge a complaint the next morning and ensure they are punished,” Mahesh recalled.“But we never expected he would succumb to his injuries. Our family believes the assailants were under the influence of alcohol and ganja. The way they behaved and attacked my father so aggressively clearly indicated that. They should not be allowed to walk scot-free,” Mahesh said.
Victim’s wife lodges detailed complaint
Madhavan’s wife, Sunita, 35, in her complaint to Ramamurthynagar police, stated that the two accused first entered the PG premises and started washing their legs in the parking area around 4pm. Sunita was in the house on the ground floor along with her two sons and her elder sister’s son, Shashi, while Madhavan was out on some work.When Shashi questioned them why they had entered the property without permission and were using the tap, the two accused said they were not doing anything wrong. Sunita came out on hearing the argument and confronted them. The duo left only after shouting at her.The family believed the matter ended there. However, the youths returned to the PG around 6. 30pm and stood outside the building. The family members informed Madhavan, who had returned home. Madhavan confronted the duo. Sunita said the confrontation quickly escalated, with the two accused issuing death threats. “We will leave the place only after killing you,” Sunita quoted the duo as saying.Madhavan rushed into the house, picked up Mahesh’s cricket bat, and came out to drive them away. But the situation turned deadly when the duo overpowered him, snatched the bat, and began assaulting him on the road. When Madhavan collapsed, the accused smashed his head with the bat.Despite desperate attempts by family members to intervene, the attackers continued, raining blows on Madhavan’s head and body. Shashi almost fell at their feet and stopped them from carrying out further attacks.Before being taken for treatment, a profusely bleeding Madhavan told his wife and son that the attackers had come with the intention of killing him, that they might repeat the attempt in the future as well, and told them not to be afraid and to pursue justice through legal means, Sunita said.A senior officer said the duo didn’t leave the street after they washed their legs during the first confrontation with the family. The medical reports confirmed they had not consumed ganja. The duo are remanded in judicial custody.“We rushed my severely injured father to a nearby private hospital. On the way, he told us, ‘The boys came back only with the intention of killing one of us. I will return after getting stitches for my head injuries. Keep the CCTV footage of the attack ready. We will lodge a complaint the next morning and ensure they are punished,” Mahesh, son of Matle Madhavan said.
