A team of the Dangs police has ventured into the deep forests of the region to catch a police head-constable who is believed to be hiding there after assaulting a senior police sub-inspector of Vaghai with an axe in his chamber.

The injured police officer, M N Gaud, who was admitted to a hospital in Surat is reported to be out of danger.

According to police sources, 45-year-old Sampat Manaji, the police head-constable who was recently transferred to Vaghai police station from Ahwa police station in Dangs, assaulted senior police sub inspector Gaud over a minor altercation.

On Thursday evening, Manaji, reportedly in inebriated condition, entered the Gaud's chamber with an axe. He locked the main door of the office from inside and had a heated argument with Gaud over some issue. Later, Manaji allegedly hit Gaud with the axe a number of times inflicting severe wounds on his writs and shoulders.

As the stunned staff in the police station knocked frantically on the door of the S-I's chamber, Manaji came out holding the blood-stained axe in his hand. Surprisingly, not a single police staff tried to stop Manaji and allowed him to flee from the place.

Gaud who was lying in a pool of blood was rushed to Vaghai Government hospital from there he was later shifted to Mahavir hospital at Surat for further treatment.

Gaud was successfully operated upon and is declared out of danger by the doctors attending him.

Sources said Manaji had also a tiff with a jeep driver over a minor thing when he was returning to the police station on Thursday afternoon. Manaji brought the jeep driver before Gaud and forced the police officials to lodge a complaint against the driver.

Seeing Manaji's inebriated condition, Gaud allowed the jeep driver leave the police station and also advised Manaji to go on leave for a few days.

Dang District Superintendent of Police Gautam Parmar said, "The humiliation before the jeep driver might have driven Manaji take such a step."

Parmar said the police checked at Manaji's native place in Vyara taluka but failed to find him. "Through some sources we learnt that he might be hiding in the deep forests of the Dangs and hence we have directed the Dangs police staff to venture into the forest to arrest him," he said.