Rasol: A man suffering from kidney disease hacked his wife to death at an area under Rasol police limits in Dhenkanal district Monday.
Police arrested the accused and produced him in court. According to the police, the man identified as Pradeep Rout, lost his mental balance and killed his wife, who had been arranging money to get him cured.
The couple’s two children — a nine-year-old daughter and a five-year-old son — are now staying with their grandmother.
Sources indicated that Pradeep has been suffering from kidney disease for three years now. He had been undergoing treatment at a hospital in Cuttack as his both the kidneys are damaged.
A daily labourer, Pradeep was no longer able to work or earn the family’s living due to his illness. So, his wife Bharati was struggling to make both ends meet and simultaneously treat her husband.
However, the accused had been under severe mental depression for last few days. The thought of penury, children’s education cost and the burden of his widowed mother must have been haunting him.
Bharati was scheduled to take him to Cuttack Monday and had been trying her best to arrange the money. While Bharati was busy doing household chores Monday morning, Pradeep suddenly picked up an axe and hacked her from behind before she could sense anything.
Terrified on seeing this, their daughter raised an alarm following which neighbours rushed to their rescue and caught hold of Pradeep.
On being informed, police reached the spot and arrested Pradeep immediately. The axe used in the crime was also seized.
The deceased’s brother Govind Sahu lodged a complaint after which the police registered a case.
According to IIC Gyan Ranjan Sahu, prima facie Govind seemed to have taken the extreme step on losing his mental balance.
PNN