Suspicion and jealousy over her husband who she believed was having affairs with other women, drove a housewife to cut off her husband's penis with a kitchen knife in an incident in East Java.

The incident which shocked residents, happened at 4am in Kampung Langsar in the small district of Saronggi, Sumenep, according to the Tempo.Co. news portal.

A vilager, Mahrus, was quoted by the news portal as saying the man was asleep in the bedroom when his wife who awoke went to the kitchen, took a knife and then cut off her husband's penis.

They are both aged 33.

A Saronggi district police spokesman who confirmed the incident, said from the information gathered, the woman was bent on cutting off her husband's penis as she suspected he was having extramarital affairs.

"The suspect has been arrested and is being interrogated at the police station," he said.

The victim is now receiving intensive treatment at the Moh Anwar District Hospital, Sumenep.

It is learnt that according to the hospital, the severed part of the victim's penis could not be stitched back as it had not been found and even if found, it was already more than six hours since the incident.