Delhi man hammers wife to death as their 3 children watch

An e-rickshaw driver allegedly bludgeoned his wife to death with a hammer in front their three children in outer Delhi’s Mangolpuri on Monday morning.

The accused, Vinod Kumar, reportedly left home after the alleged murder of his wife, Savita, and had not been arrested as of Monday evening, police officials said.

The children — aged 15, 14 and 13 —told the police that the couple frequently fought about Vinod’s alleged alcoholism. The children claimed that Monday’s argument was also about their father’s drinking habits.

Additional deputy commissioner of police (outer)-I Rajendra Singh Sagar said the couple had been married for nearly 18 years.

“All the three kids were present at home on Monday when around 10am the couple started arguing. As the argument turned heated, Kumar picked up a hammer and started hitting his wife. She collapsed after a few blows,” said Sagar.

The children said they saw their father commit the murder, Sagar said.

Once their father left, the children took their mother to a nearby hospital with the help of some neighbours. Hospital authorities declared Savita dead on arrival and informed the police about the alleged murder.

Sagar said there were visible injury marks on the body and that the post mortem report would establish how many times Savita was hit.

The children told the police that the couple had been arguing frequently and had been sleeping in separate rooms. They added that Kumar often turned aggressive in these arguments.

Investigations also revealed that Savita had approached the police with complaints of domestic violence in the past, but the matter had been resolved amicably, said Sagar.

“We have registered a case of murder at the Mangolpuri police station and have formed several teams to nab the accused,” said Sagar.