Wanting son, man rips open pregnant wife's stomach in Uttar Pradesh

In a shocking incident, a man tried to 'rip' his seven-month pregnant wife's stomach allegedly to know if she was carrying a male child at Nekpur locality in Uttar Pradesh's Badayun district on Saturday. The couple has five daughters.

While the man was arrested, the woman, who suffered serious injuries, was admitted to a hospital where her condition was stated to be critical.

Sources said that the man, identified as Panna Lal, desperately wanted a son and he often quarreled with his wife over the issue as he did not want another girl child.

The couple had a heated exchange on Saturday evening on the same issue after which an infuriated Panna Lal took a sickle and tried to rip his wife's stomach.

''Panna Lal kept shouting that he would find out whether his wife carried a son,'' said one of the eyewitnesses.

Panna Lal fled the scene after the neighbours rushed to rescue his wife after hearing her cries. She was rushed to the district hospital from where she was referred to Bareilly Medical College Hospital, sources said.

The accused was arrested from a hideout a little later, police sources said.

Police said that preliminary investigations revealed that Panna Lal might have been under the influence of some 'tantrik' (exorcist) and might have perpetrated the crime on his instruction.