Husband Hires Hitman To Kill Wife After She Bought Smartphone: Police

A 40-year-old man in the Indian state of West Bengal allegedly hired a hitman to kill his wife after she bought a mobile phone without his permission.

The wife was attacked by two men with a sharp weapon at the couple's home in Narendrapur in the southern fringes of Kolkata Thursday night, the Hindustan Times reported. She survived the attack, but she sustained a throat injury that required around seven stitches.

The husband allegedly hired the professional killer from Kamarhati for Rs 50,000 ($671), Telegraph India reported.

The victim, identified as Rupa, had asked her husband, identified as Rajesh Jha, to buy her a smartphone, but the father-of-two refused, according to a statement from Narendrapur police.

However, the woman earned money by giving tuition classes and bought herself a phone on Jan. 1. When the husband learned about it, he became furious and threatened to kill her, police said.

On Thursday night, before going to sleep, Rajesh went to lock the main door of their home but never returned.

After she noticed that her husband did not return, the wife got up and went looking for him. She was then attacked by two men.

The wife was injured and bleeding profusely but was able to get out of the house and shout for help. A group of locals heard her screams and rushed to help.

The group caught her husband and one of the assailants, identified as Surajit. The second attacker, whose identity remains unknown, managed to escape and had yet to be apprehended as of Saturday night.

“We have arrested the woman’s husband Rajesh Jha, 40, and one of the assailants who identified himself as Surajit. We are looking for the second assailant. A case has been initiated and we are investigating the matter,” a police officer from the Narendrapur police station stated.

The couple has two daughters, aged 11 and 5. Rajesh worked as an accountant at a mobile store, while Rupa found other ways to earn a living – including tutoring students at home.