Police said that Suresh Kumar of Kiya village in Ramnagar area of Udhampur attacked his family members with a sharp-edged weapon late on Sunday.

"He fled from the scene of the crime, leaving his mother-in-law Shanti Devi, wife Lalita and sister-in-law, Anju Devi in a pool of blood. Shanti Devi was declared brought dead by the doctors at the local hospital while the other two women were referred for treatment to the district hospital in Udhampur town," a police official said, adding that a case has been registered in the crime and efforts have been intensified to nab the absconding accused.

"Brother-in-law of the accused, Rakesh, told police that the accused was under the influence of alcohol when he came to their home and axed Rakesh’s mother to death and injured his wife and sister-in-law. Rakesh further said that his sister, who is Suresh Kumar’s wife, had a fight over some issue with her husband a few days back and he was now pressing her to return," the police official said.

Investigators are now collecting material evidence from the scene of the crime and also gathering circumstantial evidence to establish their case against the accused so that he gets a befitting punishment in the court of law.