Ex-serviceman shoots wife dead

Mahesh Sharma

Raikot, June 15

An ex-serviceman allegedly killed his wife with his licenced 12 bore rifle at Khadoor village under Jodhan police station, near here, on Saturday.

The accused identified as Sukhdev Singh Fauzi (65) was reportedly under stress. The neighbours heard the gunshot. On being called by the daughter-in-law of the couple, they found the woman lying in a pool of blood. She was later declared dead by the doctors.

The deceased was identified as Gurmeet Kaur (55).

The accused managed to flee from the scene before villagers or the police reached. The ex-serviceman had been working as a security guard at a multispecialty hospital in Ludhiana.

The Jodhan police led by SHO Inderpal Chauhan have initiated probe into sequence of events leading to the murder in cold blood after registering an FIR under Section 302 of the IPC and the Arms Act. “Though we are yet to corroborate the sequence of events leading to the murder, we have launched a manhunt for the accused,” the SHO said.

Preliminary investigations revealed that the couple had two sons and both were serving in the Army. The family was happily living at their native place and all members of the clan were in good terms with each other. 

The accused, who was baptized, had visited all three gurdwaras at the village, as usual, early in the morning. Gurmeet Kaur was taking her breakfast at the time of the incident and her daughter-in-law was serving her food. 

It was during this period, when some heated exchange of words took place between the husband and wife and the former shot her when she was yet to finish her breakfast.