A 39-year-old former Army personnel was allegedly stabbed to death by his wife during an argument over a vegetable dish at dinner in Naroda, Ahmedabad, late on Thursday night.

The woman, Nirmala Kharadi (34), was arrested the same night after the victim, Dilip Kharadi (39), was declared dead at a hospital. Police have registered a murder case against her.

Police said the couple had moved to Naroda from Halol in Panchmahal, Gujarat, around 11 months earlier. At the time of the incident, the couple's 14-year-old daughter and 10-year-old son had gone to a programme and were not present at home.

Naroda police station's Inspector R. H. Garasiya said the accused used a knife to attack her husband, with a fatal wound to the chest. "The stabbing happened amid a dispute over a vegetable dish at dinner," Garasiya said.

How the argument turned fatal

Dilip was a driver in the Indian Army from 2005 until 2023, and had subsequently worked as a manager with GMDC.

Police said that during dinner on Thursday night, Nirmala returned home at around 10 pm and an argument began between the couple over making a vegetable dish. The spat quickly escalated, and Nirmala allegedly took a knife from the kitchen and stabbed Dilip.

Dilip, who was bleeding heavily, was rushed by his cousin to a hospital, where he was declared dead by 11.30 pm.

Police action

Within hours, police arrested Nirmala Kharadi. She was booked for murder under Section 103 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and was produced before a court, which granted a one-day remand.

Police said they were investigating additional facts and allegations.

A history of disputes

According to family members and police, the couple had frequent arguments. Nirmala was not working, while Dilip earned Rs 60,000 a month. The two had married in 2010 and had been fighting for several years, family members said.

Nirmala's family alleged that Dilip regularly abused her and had even tried to kill her by pouring hot oil on her body. Dilip's family, however, alleged that Nirmala had earlier attempted to kill Dilip and repeatedly threatened him.