Man kills wife on suspicion of illicit affairs

A man brutally murdered his wife, who he suspected of having extramarital affairs, by stabbing her nearly three dozen times with a knife in a hotel in West Bengal's Howrah district, police said on Sunday.

The incident took place in Garchumuk in Howrah on Saturday afternoon.

"Gautam Mahato, 30, checked into Geetanjali lodge at Garchumuk with his wife Anita Mahato on Friday afternoon. He brutally killed Anita on Saturday afternoon by stabbing her 32 times as he suspected her of having extra-marital relationships," said Suman Das, officer-in-charge of Shyampur police station.

The hotel employees said they heard loud screams from the room where the couple was residing and had to break down the door to enter the room.

"At around 4 p.m., we rushed to the room hearing loud screams and found the door was locked from inside. On entering the room, we saw the mutilated body of the wife while the man stood beside her with a bloody knife," said a hotel employee.

Police have arrested Gautam on murder charges.

"He was taken into police custody for five days. It seems he is mentally unstable," Inspector Das said.

--IANS

mgr/ssp/vd/dg