Shahjahanpur: A 30-year-old woman was allegedly hacked to death with an axe by her husband in Chaurasia village under the Alhaganj police station limits of Uttar Pradesh's Shahjahanpur district on Wednesday, a day before the Karwa Chauth festival, police said.

Source: IANS via hi INDiA

Police identified the deceased as Sushila, 30, and the accused husband as Avneesh. According to the preliminary police investigation, the couple argued over going to Delhi, following which the accused allegedly attacked his wife with an axe, resulting in her death. The incident triggered panic in the village.

30Age of the victim, Sushila
2Police teams deployed to trace the accused
65 kmDistance of Chaurasia village from the district headquarters, as reported locally

Accused absconding with the couple's son

On receiving information, police reached the spot, took custody of the body and sent it for a postmortem examination, and an investigation has been launched. Investigators said the accused has been absconding with the couple's child since the incident, and two police teams have been deployed to trace and arrest him. Local Hindi reporting said he fled with the couple's young son; police have not publicly disclosed the child's details.

Family members told local reporters that the couple, married about eight years ago, had disagreed over where Avneesh should take up work — relatives said he wanted to return to a job in Ludhiana while Sushila pressed for work in Delhi — and the argument broke out on Wednesday afternoon. These are the family's allegations and account; the police investigation is at an early stage and no formal charge has been publicly announced.

The killing has drawn particular attention because it took place a day before Karwa Chauth, a festival traditionally observed by married women for their husbands' wellbeing. Police say the search for the accused and the safe recovery of the child are the immediate priorities, and further action will follow the postmortem report and witness statements.