A man on Wednesday axed his wife to death and later attempted suicide by consuming insecticide at Kothapalli village in Karimnagar, after the childless couple had an altercation, police said.
The incident took place under Ramagundam police limits, when Bodakunta Kumaraswamy (50) attacked wife Rajeshwari (45) during a quarrel, after she accused him of not being able to father a child.
Enraged Kumaraswamy attacked her with an axe on the head, killing her on the spot, police said.
When his mother-in-law Laxmi (65) tried to intervene, she was also hit with the axe, injuring her seriously following which she was admitted to a government hospital in a critical condition, they said.
Shocked to see both the women in a pool of blood, the accused consumed insecticide to end his life.
He has been hospitalised and his condition is reported to be stable, police said.
A case has been registered and investigations are on, they added.