GHAZIABAD - An unemployed truck driver who allegedly killed his five children and attempted to commit suicide after critically injuring his wife has been arrested, police said Tuesday.

A case under sections 308 (attempt to commit culpable homicide not amounting to murder) and 309 (attempt to commit suicide) have been registered against Ravindra Verma, who while heavily drunk, brutally killed his five children, critically injured his wife and attempted to commit suicide. The maximum term of imprisonment under section 308 is seven years.

Meanwhile, Verma’s wife Durgawati is out of danger and is recovering fast. In her first statement, she said Verma attacked her when she was trying to protect the children from her husband. She said he had first attacked her with a knife, and then hit her on her head with an heavy iron object.

Verma, 38, and Durgawati, 35, were found with stab wounds in their house in Rosy Colony by his mother around 7 a.m. Monday. The five children were lying dead, police said.

The children were identified as Anjani, 14, Preeti, 10, Mona, 8, Devraj, 5, and nine-month-old Lucky. They appear to have been killed with a blunt instrument. Their bodies have been sent for autopsy.

Originally a resident of Bihar’s Siwan district, Verma moved to Ghaziabad about 15 years ago and started working as a truck driver but was sacked about two months ago.

His younger brother Avdhesh said Verma’s family life was severely disrupted since he used to sit idle at home. Whenever his wife insisted he find a job, they used to have a fight. He said a fight Monday might have led to the tragedy.

About three years ago, Verma killed his two-month-old daughter by throwing her on the floor of the house in a fit of rage.

Inspector General of Police (IGP) Gurbachan Lal said that economic stress might have led Verma to take such extreme step, while Divisional Commissioner Radha Chauhan claimed economic deprivation could have not been the only reason and some psychological factors might have also been there.