Muzaffarnagar (UP), Jun 27 (IANS): A 57-year-old cleric in Muzaffarnagar district died after he was castrated by his wife for planning to get married for the third time.

The accused was his second wife and she has been arrested.

The woman told investigators that she pounced upon him with a sharp-edged kitchen knife while he was asleep. She said that she castrated him and he bled to death.

Hazra, the local cleric Wakeel Ahmed's second wife, had earlier pleaded with him not to marry for a third time, but the man had made up his mind.

The incident occurred in Shikarpur village on Friday night and Hazra was arrested on Saturday. His first wife was not at home at the time of the incident.

A team of cops from Bhora Kalan police station reached their house and the man's body was sent for post mortem.

Deputy SP of Phugana, Sharad Chand Sharma, said, "The woman has confessed to her crime. Her husband wished to marry yet again and she wanted to prevent him. Their argument turned into a major scuffle."

Bhora Kalan SHO Jitender Singh said she has been booked under section 302 (murder) of the IPC and sent to prison.

Further investigations are underway.