Man kills wife after she refuses to give earrings to pay for mother's funerary rituals

A man allegedly killed his wife and fled after she refused to part with her earrings to finance the funerary rituals of his mother, a police official in Maharashtra's Palghar district said on Sunday.

The man's mother had died a few days ago and he had mortgaged his wife's jewellery to conduct the funeral, Inspector Mahendra Shelar of Pelhar police station said.

"He then asked her to part with her earrings, which was the last piece of jewellery in her possession, for the 13th day rituals.

She refused and he strangled her on Saturday. He then fled the house," the official said.

Neighbours were alerted about the incident after a foul smell started emanating from the house, he said. A case was registered on the complaint of the couple's 14-year-old son and efforts were on to nab the accused, he added.