New Delhi | A 28-year-old man was arrested for allegedly beating his wife with a stick, which proved fatal, in northwest Delhi's Bhalswa Dairy area, police said on Wednesday.

The man hit his wife because she was "lazy" and would never cook food for him, they said.

The incident was reported at Bhalswa Dairy Police Station by Burari government hospital. The hospital reported receiving one Preeti, a resident of Mukundpur, who was declared brought dead, a senior police officer said.

Since the victim had been married less than seven years, the Sub-Divisional magistrate (SDM) was informed about the incident, police said.

According to the statement of her mother, Ahila Devi, her son-in-law Bajrangi Gupta used to beat her daughter, the officer said, adding that the post mortem of the body has been done.

A case under section 302 (murder) of the IPC was registered on Monday and a team was deputed to trace the absconding husband, police said.

Following a tip off, Gupta was arrested and the weapon of offence, the stick, was also recovered at his instance, police said.