Noida: Man bludgeons wife to death with brick after she refuses to give him a ‘head massage’

Police said the assault took place in front of their five-year-old daughter. The younger one was sleeping while the older child was out of the house. Statement of the five-year-old is also being recorded, police said

A man was nabbed on Tuesday on charges of bludgeoning his 34-year-old wife to death with a brick in Noida’s Sector 63, reportedly after she refused to give him a “head massage” when he came home drunk on Monday night, senior police officers said, adding that the murder took place in front of their five-year-old daughter.

Neighbours who heard Reenu’s screams called the police. On being alerted, police immediately reached the spot and found their daughters crying next to their mother who was lying in a pool of blood. (Representational Image)

“The deceased was identified as Reenu, aka Pratibha, who was married to Harendra Giri, 36. The couple have three daughters aged eight, five, and two years. The family hails from Ayodhya and they moved to a rented accommodation in Chhajarsi village in Sector 63 two days ago. Giri works at a private company in Noida,” said Avdhesh Pratap Singh, station house officer, Sector 63 police station.

“On Monday around 10.30pm, Giri reached home in an inebriated condition and started pressuring Reenu to give him a head massage while she was cooking. When she refused and requested him to give her some time, Giri got angry and picked up a brick kept in the house and bludgeoned her to death,” said sub-inspector Deshpal Singh, Chhajarsi police outpost in-charge.

“The assault took place in front of their five-year-old daughter. The younger one was sleeping while the older child was out of the house. Statement of the five-year-old is also being recorded,” Singh said.

“Neighbours who heard Reenu’s screams called the police. On being alerted, we immediately reached the spot and found their daughters crying next to their mother who was lying in a pool of blood. We rushed her to a nearby hospital, where doctors declared her dead on arrival,” said SI Singh, adding that Reenu sustained severe head injuries that probably led to her death. Her body has been sent for a post-mortem examination and the report is awaited.

During the investigation, it also came to fore that Giri did not like his three daughters, and he often fought with Reenu over not having a son. “We have found that the relation between husband and wife was not good as he used to fight with her over not having a son,” said SHO Singh, adding that the suspect will be booked for murder once a complaint is received from the woman’s family. Further investigations are underway.