MP: Man axes wife, 3 children to death in Damoh over family dispute

A 40-year-old man in Madhya Pradesh's Damoh allegedly killed his wife and three children with an axe over a family dispute. The incident took place in Kabirpur village. The accused, Dwarka Patel, has been arrested by the police.

A 40-year-old man allegedly killed his wife and three children with an axe amid a family dispute in Madhya Pradesh’s Damoh district, police said on Saturday.The incident took place in Kabirpur village under the jurisdiction of Magron police station in the district in the early hours of Saturday at around 4 am. The deceased have been identified as the accused’s wife, Khema Patel (37), his seven-year-old daughter and two sons aged four and one year old.

Police Detail Initial Response

Additional Superintendent of Police (ASP) Sujeet Bhadauria said police received information about the incident through FRV (First Response Vehicle, Dial 112) around 6-6:30 am on Saturday, following which police officials reached the spot.“The police received information about an incident from Kabirpura village under Magron police station through an FRV around 6-6:30 am that four members of the same family had been killed. Police officials immediately reached the spot and an FSL (Forensic Science Laboratory) team was called from Sagar. Upon reaching the site, the police came to know that three of the deceased were siblings, including a seven-year-old girl, a four-year-old boy and a one-year-old boy and their mother, Khema Patel, were found dead,” Bhadauria said.

Accused Arrested, Motive Investigated

The officer added that the accused, identified as Dwarka Patel (40), was taken into custody and was being questioned to ascertain the reason behind committing the incident.“The accused, Dwarka Patel, appears to have committed the incident following a family dispute and some previous tension. He allegedly attacked them with an axe while they were sleeping at around 4-5 am. What exactly led to the dispute is being investigated. The accused has been taken into custody and is being questioned,” the ASP said.

Suspicion Over Character Cited in Dispute

According to villagers and neighbours, there was a dispute between the husband and wife last night. The woman’s parental family and her in-laws sat together and tried to resolve the matter, the officer said.“There are indications of a dispute involving suspicion over character, but this will be examined in detail during the investigation. The accused will be questioned further in this regard. Though it is a shocking incident in Damoh district, in which four people were killed due to family-related tensions. The accused has been taken into custody, and further investigation is underway,” the Additional SP added.(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Asianet Newsable English staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)