The blood‑sodden scene unfolded in the fields of Channanwal, a village under Barnala district, where Kulwinder Kaur was collecting fodder with her mother‑in‑law. Bhola Singh, the husband, appeared from the house and struck his wife with a heavy axe, killing her on the spot. He then returned home, swallowed a poisonous substance, and was carried to the nearest hospital, where he died the same day.
The Deputy Superintendent of Police, JK Channa, said the axe was recovered at the scene and that the police are piecing together the sequence of events. "We are working to determine the precise motive behind the incident," he told reporters.
No motive has yet been publicly confirmed, but officials suspect a domestic dispute. The case adds to a growing list of violent domestic incidents in Punjab, where the crime‑prevention laws are applied harshly.
Investigators will now focus on gathering forensic evidence from the field and interviewing witnesses, including the mother who witnessed the attack. The case will be forwarded to the district crime branch for further probing.
The next step will be a formal charge sheet once the motive and evidence are clarified, with the possibility of a court hearing in the coming weeks.