Lucknow: A 49-year-old kathavachak (religious storyteller) was arrested for allegedly shooting his wife dead with a licensed rifle following a domestic dispute in Hardoi’s Shahabad area, police said on Saturday.The accused, Durga Prasad, allegedly shot his wife, Durgeshwati (45), in the abdomen at their home in Mishripur late Thursday night. She succumbed to her injuries while undergoing treatment at a trauma centre in Lucknow on Friday morning. Police have also recovered the .315-bore rifle allegedly used in the crime.According to a complaint filed by the couple’s 16-year-old son, Harsh, Durga Prasad frequently questioned his wife’s character and made objectionable remarks about her. The issue reportedly led to an argument on Thursday, during which he allegedly opened fire on her.Hearing the gunshot, family members and neighbours rushed to the house. However, the accused fled the scene. Police arrested him on the outskirts of Shahabad on Saturday afternoon.Durgeshwati was initially taken to a community health centre, from where doctors referred her to a medical college after her condition was found to be critical. She was later shifted to a trauma centre in Lucknow for specialised treatment but died around 11 am on Friday.Police have sent the body for postmortem examination.Investigators are also probing a possible property dispute between the couple. Family members told police that the two had recently been at odds over the proposed sale of around 2.5 bighas of agricultural land.A resident of Mishripur under Shahabad municipal limits, Durga Prasad performs religious rituals and ceremonies at people’s homes.The couple married in 2003 and had four children: sons Devvrat (22), Dev (17) and Harsh (16), and daughter Vaishnavi (15). Devvrat is employed in Gurugram.
