MUMBAI: A 35-year-old man, doubting his wife`s fidelity, beheaded her and his 18-month-old daughter at their Nalasopara (E) residence on Thursday. He stayed put with the bodies till the police arrived.

The accused, Chandrakant Ahire , was living in Bilalpada with his wife Sanchita (25) and daughter Vaishnavi for the past one-and-a-half years, said a police officer. He was working as a driver with a private firm in Mumbai.

According to Ahire`s neighbours, the couple had frequent quarrels. Ahire suspected his wife of having illicit affairs with men from the locality. Over the last few days, the two had been having regular fights, said a neighbour.

Ahire had locked the room from inside. After much persuasion by the police, he opened the door. The police found the decapitated bodies of Sanchita and Vaishnavi on the floor . Their heads were lying in another corner of the room.

Ahire confessed to his crime and told the police that he suspected Sanchita`s fidelity and feared that she was into prostitution. "Ahire first decapitated his wife with a kitchen knife. He then killed his daughter, who was crying even as the mother was being murdered," said an officer.

Neighbours said Ahire was an alcoholic and a and would call Sanchita a prostitute and accuse her of sleeping around when he was at work.

Ahire told the police that he did not want Vaishnavi to grow up to be like her mother.

Ahire will be produced before the Vasai court on Friday. Police said that Ahire came across as stable headed.

On Thursday evening, the local corporator Purva Patil received a call from Ahire`s neighbours informing him that blood was oozing out of Ahire`s room. Patil and the neighbours then called the police.

Ahire was taken for medical tests at the Nalasopara Public Health Centre . Police said that it could not be ascertained whether it was a planned murder.