Man who cooked up leopard attack story, held for wife’s murder

Rajkot: A farm labourer and native of Madhya Pradesh Amthabhai (24) was arrested on Friday for allegedly murdering his 20-year-old wife following dispute over having children in Gavadka village of Amreli on Wednesday.

Police said Amthabhai allegedly hit his wife Savkuben with a spade on the head after argument over having children. Savkuben died on the spot. However, Amthabhai concocted a story that Savkuben was killed by a leopard. On Wednesday night Amthabhai began crying for help claiming that a leopard had attacked her wife when she was sleeping in the farm of Popat Patel, where the couple worked as farm labourers.

Villagers and forest officials came rushing and took the woman to Amreli civil hospital, where the doctors declared her brought dead. Police said after primary examination of the woman's body, the doctors and forest officials concluded that she had not died of animal attack. The doctor found no injury or bite mark on woman's body. Police said they suspect that the woman might have been murdered.

On Friday, during questioning Amthabhai confessed to police that he had hit his wife with a spade following an argument resulting in her death. Amthabhai was arrested and will be produced before court on Saturday. Amthabhai had eloped with Savkuben some three-four years ago from their native village.