Dharamshala (HP) Mar 31 (PTI) Uttarakhand Police has arrested a man for allegedly killing his 32-year-old wife in a village in Himachal’s Kangra district, police said on Tuesday.

According to police sources, the accused, identified as Sunny Kumar, allegedly attacked his wife, Kalti Devi, with a sharp-edged weapon when she was asleep in the early hours of Monday. The assault proved fatal, and she died on the spot.

Devi is survived by her three children, including two sons and a daughter, police said, adding that during the time of the incident, her young daughter was reportedly sleeping beside her.

Preliminary investigation suggests that the accused had gone out on the night of March 29 with his brother for a black magic ritual. Later, around midnight, Kumar brought his wife to his brother’s house in Kutahan village, where they stayed.

The incident occurred at around 4.30 am, when Kumar attacked his wife with an axe while other family members were asleep in adjacent rooms.

Hearing the disturbance, his brother rushed to the scene and immediately informed the police.

Upon reaching the spot, the police took the accused into custody and sent the body for a post-mortem. A forensic team also collected evidence from the scene.

According to the police, Kumar, a daily wage labourer, is originally from Bir-Baijnath and currently residing in Lambagaon.

Superintendent of Police Ashok Ratan said that the accused has been arrested and that an investigation is underway to determine the motive behind the crime.

Police said a case of murder has beaen registered, and investigations are underway. PTI COR BPL SHS SHS