In an appalling incident, a 35-year-old pregnant woman was allegedly murdered by her 40-year-old husband after a petty quarrel over “a cup of tea” in Lakhimpur Kheri district of Uttar Pradesh on Monday. The accused killed the woman because she served him morning tea with less sugar in it.

The victim was identified as Renu Devi. She and the accused, identified as Bablu Kumar, tied the knot around 12 years ago. The couple lived in Lakhimpur district’s Barber area under the territorial limits of Pasgawa Police Station. At around 5:30 am on Monday, in a fit of rage, Bablu killed Renu by slitting her throat with a sharp knife during an argument over a little less sugar in tea.

After slitting the woman’s throat, the accused fled from the house. Their children, who were sleeping at that time, woke up upon hearing their father scream at their mother. However, when they entered the kitchen, they found their mother lying in a pool of blood and struggling to breathe.

The now-deceased woman’s father Badri Prasad approached the police and filed a complaint against Bablu. Police have booked him for murder under Section 302 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). While speaking to The Times of India, the grief-stricken father said that he was shocked that Bablu killed his daughter over such a petty issue. He believed that he was a sensible man.

Police efforts are on to nab the absconding accused. Pasgawa Police Station SHO Rakesh Kumar said that the police have recorded the statements of the couple’s children as they witnessed the murder. Moreover, the weapon used in the crime has also been recovered by the investigating officials.