A 30-year-old man in Chhattisgarhs Balod district allegedly murdered his mother and two-year-old son with an axe after a heated argument with his wife over his theft of Rs 40,000, police said on Sunday. The accused, identified as Bhawani Nishad, also grievously injured his wife before being arrested on Saturday.The incident occurred in Usarwara village under Purir police station limits. According to authorities, Nishad had stolen an ATM card from a villager about a week ago and secretly withdrew Rs 40,000 from the persons bank account.When fellow villagers started discussing the theft, a guilt-ridden Nishad returned home drunk on Saturday and fought with his wife Jageshwari over the matter, officials said. In a fit of rage, he attacked his wife, 50-year-old mother Shanti Nishad and son Vaibhav with an axe, declaring he would eliminate the entire family before killing himself.Locals alerted police after learning of the horrific incident. While Jageshwari survived with injuries, Nishads mother and son died on the spot from grievous wounds. His father was not home during the crime.Police rushed the injured woman to a Dhamtari hospital where her condition was said to be stable. Nishad admitted to his actions under questioning. He has been arrested and further investigations are underway, police station in-charge Shishupal Sinha said.The shocking murder case has once again put the spotlight on rising domestic violence triggered by substance abuse in Chhattisgarhs rural pockets. Counselling facilities remain limited even as frequent alcoholism continues to plague families, often destroying lives.
