From correspondents in Jharkhand, India, 02:32 PM IST

A drunken man in a Jharkhand village allegedly killed his wife with a spade because he was irritated with her hearing disability, police here said.

The incident occurred Wednesday in Gore village, about 45 km from Ranchi, when Mahadev Oraon came home in an inebriated condition. He had some quarrel with his wife Cheria because she was partially deaf and hit her with a spade on the head, killing her on the spot.

Their four children - aged between two and eight - who were sleeping in another room woke up to find their mother in a pool of blood. Villagers gathered at the spot hearing the screams of the children.

The couple had frequent spats because of her disability. Mahadev, who is absconding, had to speak loudly to his wife and that irritated him, said his brother.

(Staff Writer, © IANS)