A stranger barged into the house of a temple priest and stabbed to death the latter’s wife, who was alone at Maruthinagar of Chaitanyapuri colony here on Thursday. The victim Venkatalakshmi, 65, was in the front room of her house when the accused walked into the yard by opening the gate at around 10.30 a.m.

Later identified as Rugma Rao, who maintains gardens and plants at houses on contract basis, the accused was in an inebriated condition. “Actually, a client called him to his house for cleaning the garden and Rao came to the wrong house in an inebriated condition,” Chaitanyapuri Inspector M. Ravinder Reddy said.

As he was speaking incoherently and mouthing abuses, the woman asked him to leave the place.

Police are yet to ascertain what transpired later. But the neighbours told them that Rao rushed inside the house carrying a knife and attacked her indiscriminately. Hearing her cries, neighbours rushed and caught hold of the attacker.

By then the victim suffered multiple knife wounds. She was rushed to a hospital where doctors declared her brought dead. Rao was handed over to the police and was being interrogated.

Source: TH