Pune: In a shocking incident at Lonikand, a husband murdered his wife by striking her on the head with an axe during a family dispute. After the crime, he spent the entire day drinking and sleeping at home.

The incident came to light on Tuesday afternoon when the police arrested the husband. The deceased has been identified as Laxmibai Babasaheb Jadhav (44), and the accused is Babasaheb Jadhav (54), a resident of Burkegaon.

According to the Lonikand police, Babasaheb Jadhav works in the welding business, while Laxmibai was employed at a company. The couple had frequent domestic disputes, and Babasaheb often suspected Laxmibai's character, leading to physical assaults.

In the wee hours of July 23, a heated argument erupted between them, during which Babasaheb attacked Laxmibai with an axe, killing her.

After committing the murder, Babasaheb drank alcohol and slept at home. On Tuesday, Laxmibai's daughter, who worked at the same company as her mother, became concerned when her mother neither arrived at work nor answered her phone.

During her lunch break, she returned home to find the door locked from the inside. After repeated knocking, she forced the door open and discovered her mother lying in a pool of blood while her father slept nearby in a drunken state.

She immediately alerted the police, who arrived at the scene and took Babasaheb into custody. During interrogation, he confessed to the crime.

"This murder was committed by the husband due to suspicions about his wife's character. The accused has been taken into custody and charged with murder. Further investigation is ongoing," said Senior Police Inspector Savalaram Salgaonkar of Lonikand Police Station.