LUCKNOW: A 37-year-old businessman from Lucknow allegedly strangled his wife of 15 years to death in front of their two children inside his SUV on Purvanchal Expressway in Sultanpur on Sunday morning.

The motive appears to be his deep-seated "inferiority complex" stemming from his wife's substantial Instagram following, according to police.The victim's Instagram account, which is currently locked and private, remains to be examined by authorities.

The victim had blocked her husband on her account, intensifying his feelings of insecurity.

The accused suspected that some of her social media admirers would visit her in his absence, leading to escalating tensions within their relationship, police said.Sharing further details, Kurebhar SHO Praveen Kumar Yadav said: "The accused owns a tour and travel agency while his wife was a homemaker.

The couple lived in Para locality of Lucknow with their 12-year-old daughter and a five-year-old son."He recounted the sequence of events.

The couple embarked on a journey to Rae Bareli on Sunday morning, but instead diverted to Purvanchal Expressway.

Around 5am, the accused halted near Mujesh intersection in Sultanpur, where he engaged in a heated argument with his wife.

In a fit of rage, he fatally strangled her.

Their children, traumatised by the horrifying scene, burst into tears.

The accused then locked himself inside the SUV.Suspicion arose when a patrolling team from UPEIDA noticed the vehicle parked suspiciously.

They promptly alerted U and the nearest police station.

Law enforcement officers arrived at the scene.

The couple's daughter disclosed the harrowing truth - that her father had murdered her mother.

The accused was subsequently arrested based on her testimony.