An Indian man reportedly fatally shot his wife after she was late in serving him dinner.

Ashok Kumar, 60, returned drunk to his home in Ghaziabad, near Delhi and demanded food from his wife, Sunaina.

When the 55-year-old refused to serve him immediately, a fight broke out between the couple, their son is said to have told police.

Mr Kumar became “infuriated” at the delay, his son Rinku, 32, told The Times of India, adding that he had threatened her with the gun before shooting her.

Ms Kumar was rushed to hospital but was pronounced dead on arrival. Authorities said Mr Kumar had confessed to the shooting after his arrest.

Rinku told the newspaper that his children were asleep in the other room.

“Around 9pm, my father returned home drunk and asked my mother for dinner around 11pm. A quarrel broke out between them as my mother refused to serve food immediately,” he said.

“Infuriated over the delay, my father whipped out a gun and threatened her. I, my wife and [my brother] Tinku tried to intervene. But he opened fire and the bullet hit my mother on her head. She collapsed at the spot."

Police officer Rupesh Singh told the BBC that Mr Kumar “used to drink every day” and his wife had wanted to talk to him about his habit, but “he wanted dinner immediately”.