Jammu, Apr 7 (UNI) An army jawan was arrested by the police today for ''stabbing'' his wife to death near Kanhachak area on the city outskirts here, official sources said.

Police said the accused Jasbir Singh was arrested by them police from Kanhachak area late evening while he was absconding after shifting his wife to the civil hospital in a critical condition.

The deceased, identified as Chinta Devi wife of army jawan Jasbir Singh, who was working as a driver in JAK LI and posted at Domana, had received multiple wounds on her body and was profusely bleeding, profesely they said.

''The woman was brutally stabbed with a sharp edged weapon (knife) by her husband. Critically wounded Chinta Devi was shifted to the Military Hospital in an auto-rickshaw from where she was referred to the Government Medical College Hospital,'' Superintendent of Police (SP) Shakti Pathak told UNI.

However, he (Jasbir Singh) escaped from the Military Hospital when the body was referred to the GMC, the SP said asserting, ''the victim died on her way to the hospital while Jasbir Singh was arrested late in the evening from Kanhachak area.'' Meanwhile, Defence Spokesman Lt Col Goswami informed UNI on telephone that the army was fully co-operating with the police in investigating the case.

However, the jawan has been put under sustained interrogation by the police, the sources added.

UNI VBH AM RAI2211