Wife "stabs" husband to death

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A dispute between a Sri Lankan couple ended with a wife stabbing her 28-year-old husband to death, allege police.

The man died on Wednesday morning after being stabbed in his chest by a kitchen knife, according to Inspector Hamdhoon Rasheed, head of the police investigation unit.

The case was reported to police by the Indira Gandhi Memorial Hospital after the man was taken in for treatment at 4am, he said, although hospital officials confirmed he was dead before arrival.

The man was taken to hospital by his wife and another Sri Lankan couple who told the hospital he had been attacked by a mugger.

But, said Hamdhoon, a police investigation revealed he had been attacked by his wife in their house in Maafaanu ward.

“We found the knife which she used to kill her husband and even blood in the room,” he said.

Hamdhoon said police were now questioning other residents in the house for further information.

The woman is being held in police custody.

Sri Lankan Acting High Commissioner H.M.T. Wijewickrama said he had not yet been informed about the case.

In 2008, a total of 80,839 expatriate workers were employed in the Maldives up from 70,075 the previous year.

The vast majority are from Bangladesh, followed by India and then Sri Lanka. Last year 9,575 Sri Lankans were working in the Maldives.