Timber businessman kills politician wife with stone in Jodhpur

Jodhpur: A 35-year-old man was arrested here in the Mata ka Than area for allegedly battering his politician wife to death, police said on Saturday.

Suman, the victim, was a former president of Mahil Morcha of Rashtriya Loktantrik Party.

Ramesh Beniwal sat with his wife's body the entire night with the door locked from inside, and only came out Saturday afternoon when police reached the spot.

According to the police, Beniwal and his wife Suman had been married for 15 years and had shifted to their current house about a year back. The couple, whose children live in a hostel, often fought.

"On Friday night too the couple had an argument over some issue at about midnight and Ramesh battered his wife's head with a stone in a fit of rage," said DCP (East) Amrita Duhan.

Beniwal later confessed he had killed his wife calling his brother-in-law in Osian, who in turn informed his relatives in Jodhpur.

They all, including the brother-in-law, rushed to the spot but Beniwal refused to open the door. Finally when the police came, he opened unlatched it.

"He was sitting beside the body of his wife. We arrested him immediately and recovered the stone used in killing Suman," said Duhan.

According to police, Ramesh was in timber business and would visit home once in 2-3 months, while Suman earlier worked at a petrol pump and joined the RLP later.

Prima facie, the victim's joining politics appeared to be the bone of contention between the couple but investigation is underway, Duhan said.