80-year-old man axes wife to death in sleep, surrenders to police

By Sumesh Rajan | May 18, 2026

Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh, INDIA: In a shocking incident in Uttar Pradesh’s Ghaziabad district, an 80-year-old man allegedly hacked his 72-year-old wife to death with an axe while she was asleep and then surrendered to police in the early hours of Saturday May 16.

The accused, identified as Harpal, a resident of Morta village, reportedly walked into the Rawli police outpost in Muradnagar around 4 a.m. and informed officers that he had killed his wife, Urmila.

Acting on his confession, police teams rushed to the family’s residence in Rawli Kala village, where they found Urmila lying on a blood-soaked cot outside the house. She had sustained multiple deep wounds to her head, neck and shoulder.

Urmila was immediately taken to a nearby community health centre, where doctors declared her dead on arrival.

Daughter Was Away at Wedding

According to police, the elderly couple had been living with their daughter, Kanchan. At the time of the incident, Kanchan and her husband were in Meerut attending a relative’s wedding.

Kanchan’s two sons, Ajay and Kunal, were asleep in another room but told investigators they did not hear anything unusual during the night.

Upon returning home after being informed of her mother’s death, Kanchan said her parents had a long history of domestic disputes.

“My parents had fought throughout their lives. Recently, they had also stopped interacting with us, but we never imagined the situation was this serious,” she told police.

Family Alleges Mental Health Issues

Family members told investigators that Harpal had been suffering from mental health problems and frequently argued with his wife.

The grandsons said that only a few days earlier, Harpal had slapped Urmila during an argument. They also stated that he often behaved aggressively towards other family members.

The couple had three children and had been living with their daughter after the death of their elder son several years ago.

Investigation Underway

Police have arrested Harpal and recovered the axe allegedly used in the crime. The body has been sent for post-mortem examination.

Senior officials said preliminary investigations suggest prolonged domestic discord may have led to the murder, although all possible angles are being explored.

Statements of family members and neighbours are being recorded as part of the ongoing investigation.