Man stabs wife, crushes head with brick before hanging himself; kids find bodies

The incident took place on the evening of October 31 following a domestic dispute, with suspicion over his wife's character emerging as a possible reason behind the violence.Man killed wife in UP's Hardoi. (Photo: Screengrabs)A 52-year-old man killed his 50-year-old wife by attacking her with a knife and then crushing her head with a brick before hanging himself at their house in Uttar Pradesh's Hardoi district.The incident took place on the evening of October 31 following a domestic dispute, with suspicion over his wife's character emerging as a possible reason behind the violence.The deceased persons have been identified as Lalput Rathore and his wife Januka Devi. The couple had eight children — six sons and two daughters. They were at their home when the incident took place.One of their sons, who works as an autorickshaw driver, said he had left for work around 6 am and had no information about any dispute between his parents during the day. He told reporters that he heard his brother Pushpendra crying and shouting after returning home. He rushed inside and found both his parents hanging.However, the police account differs from the son's version. According to senior cop Santosh Kumar Singh, Lalput attacked Januka with a vegetable-cutting knife and a brick, killing her, before hanging himself. The detailed police account states that Januka's body was found lying in the courtyard, while Lalput's body was hanging from a noose inside the house.WHAT POLICE SAID Singh said the police received information about a dispute between a husband and wife late on October 31.Police and forensic teams reached the spot and collected evidence. The bodies were taken into custody after the inquest proceedings and sent for post-mortem examination. A knife and a brick were also recovered from the scene.The police said the initial investigation pointed towards a dispute between the couple. However, they are examining all possible angles to establish the circumstances that led to the incident.- Ends