Representative image.

NEW DELHI: The four-year-old girl was watching TV late into the night, but nothing in the idiot box was as dramatic as what was unfolding in her parents' room at the same time. Suddenly, hearing her mother's screams, the girl dashed into her parents' room, only to become witness to a sight she would perhaps never forget.

As she entered, the girl saw her mother bludgeoning her father to death with a hammer two dozen times in his sleep. As her father bled through the night, the girl remained tucked in a corner of their small house.

The reason for the bloodbath? The man had forgotten to get medicines for his wife, who suffered from psychological issues. The shocking incident has been reported from Narela, where 35-year-old Kamal Kumar lived with his wife, 32-year-old Hansi. The couple had two daughters aged 2 and 4 and a one-year-old son.

Kamal, an orphan since birth, and Hansi used to live in the same colony in Narela's Sector A5. While Hansi suffered from anger issues and was undergoing treatment for her extreme temper at VIMHANS, Kamal was a soft-spoken person liked by everybody in the colony. Hansi's parents, who used to live with her, got them married six years ago and also helped the couple rent a house nearby.

Neighbours say Kamal, who worked at a factory in the nearby industrial area, always took care of his wife and tried to pacify her even though she often got these violent streaks.

However, they never imagined that Hansi was capable of executing such a horrific murder.

According to police, the couple had a huge fight on Tuesday after Kamal did not bring her medicines. He did not have food and went off to sleep. While his son and younger daughter slept off as well, the older daughter was watching TV in the other room around 11pm, when the incident occurred.

The little girl said that after Hansi was done with the hammer, she used a pair of scissors and stabbed Kamal to death.

After the murder, the woman locked the house from the outside and went to watch a baraat passing by. She even took part in the celebration, with blood splashed across her face. The neighbours did spot her in the crowd but mistook the blood for Holi colours.

On Tuesday morning, the woman woke up as usual, ignoring the blood-spattered walls and floor of the house and began to prepare breakfast for everyone.

She then asked the kids to wake her husband but the children sneaked into a corner out of fear. Around this time, the 4-year-old finally managed to run out of the house and narrated the incident to her grandmother and other relatives who then dialled the police.

The police arrested the woman from the house and are getting her medically examined. Her statement has been recorded. If her medical reports declare her mentally disturbed, she will be sent to an asylum, police said.

The little girl, now a police witness, has recounted as to how her mother did not stop hitting her father despite several requests. She instead threatened to hit her too if she did not move away.

The kids have also told police that their mother used to leave the house in a fit of rage in the past and return after a few days.

Kamal's body has been handed over to Hansi's parents after postmortem. The weapons used for the crime have been seized and the house has been inspected by forensic experts. The children are currently with Hansi's parents, who are from West Bengal.

