Ghaziabad: 80-year-old kills wife with axe, surrenders at police outpost
Synopsis
An 80-year-old man walked into a police outpost in Ghaziabad and confessed to killing his wife with an axe — a case that raises troubling questions about elder mental health, domestic conflict, and the absence of family oversight at the time of the incident.
Key Takeaways
Harpal , 80 , allegedly killed his wife Urmila , 72 , with an axe at their home in Rawali Kala village , Muradnagar , Ghaziabad .
The accused walked into the Rawali police outpost on 16 May and confessed to the crime.
Urmila was found on a cot in a pool of blood and was declared dead at the Community Health Centre .
Family members reportedly said Harpal’s mental health had been unstable and that frequent disputes between the couple were common.
ACP Modinagar Bhaskar Verma confirmed the accused is in custody and the body has been sent for post-mortem.
An 80-year-old man allegedly killed his 72-year-old wife with an axe at their home in Rawali Kala village, Muradnagar, Ghaziabad, before walking into a nearby police outpost and confessing to the crime on 16 May. The accused, identified as Harpal, son of Khachedu, is now in custody as investigators work to establish the exact circumstances of the killing.
How the Crime Came to Light
Harpal arrived at the Rawali police outpost and told officers he had murdered his wife, Urmila, at their residence the previous day. Police personnel rushed to the spot and found the elderly woman lying on a cot in a pool of blood. She was taken to the Community Health Centre, where doctors declared her dead on arrival.
What the Senior Officer Said
Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Modinagar, Bhaskar Verma, confirmed the sequence of events. “On May 16, Harpal informed police that he had murdered his wife with an axe earlier. The accused has been taken into custody. The body has been sent for post-mortem, and further investigation is underway,” ACP Verma said.
Family Background and Mental Health Concerns
According to family members, Harpal had reportedly been living at his daughter’s house for some time, and his mental health had allegedly been unstable. The family also reported frequent disputes between the elderly couple. The deceased woman’s grandson, Kunal, told police that his grandfather often picked fights with family members over minor issues.
“At the time of the incident, my brother and I were sleeping in another room, while our parents had gone to Meerut. We came to know about the incident only after the police arrived in the morning,” Kunal said.
Investigation and Legal Proceedings
The body has been sent for post-mortem examination and legal proceedings are underway. Police are continuing their investigation to determine the precise motive and circumstances behind the killing. No additional arrests have been reported so far.
Point of View
Underreported crisis of elder mental health and domestic conflict in rural Uttar Pradesh. The family’s account that Harpal’s mental health had been deteriorating for some time, and that he had already moved to his daughter’s home, raises the question of why no intervention occurred. That two grandchildren were asleep in an adjacent room when the killing took place points to a failure of family oversight at a critical moment. As India’s elderly population grows, incidents at this intersection of mental illness, domestic tension, and inadequate community support are likely to increase — yet they rarely prompt systemic scrutiny.
NationPress
6 Aug 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What happened in the Ghaziabad axe murder case on May 16?
An 80-year-old man named Harpal allegedly killed his 72-year-old wife Urmila with an axe at their home in Rawali Kala village, Muradnagar, Ghaziabad, and then surrendered at a local police outpost on 16 May 2025. The accused confessed to the crime and is currently in custody.
Who is the accused in the Ghaziabad murder case?
The accused is Harpal, son of Khachedu, an 80-year-old resident of the Rawali outpost area under Muradnagar police station, Ghaziabad. He personally walked into the Rawali police outpost and informed officers that he had killed his wife.
What did the family say about the accused’s mental health?
Family members told police that Harpal’s mental health had reportedly been unstable for some time and that he had been staying at his daughter’s house. Frequent disputes between the elderly couple were also reported by the family.
What is the current status of the investigation?
ACP Modinagar Bhaskar Verma confirmed that Harpal has been taken into custody and the body of the deceased, Urmila, has been sent for post-mortem examination. Police are continuing their investigation to determine the exact motive and circumstances of the killing.
Were any witnesses present at the time of the incident?
The deceased woman’s grandson Kunal told police that he and his brother were sleeping in another room at the time, while their parents had travelled to Meerut. They became aware of the incident only after police arrived the following morning.
