India's top anti-crime agency has arrested the mother-in-law of an Indian woman whose death has sparked conflicting claims of murder and suicide.
Twisha Sharma's parents and siblings have alleged that she was tortured by her lawyer husband, Samarth Singh, and his mother - retired judge Giribala Singh - over dowry demands and that she was murdered, allegations they have denied.
The 33-year-old model and actor had been married for just five months when she was found dead in her matrimonial home in Madhya Pradesh state's Bhopal city on 12 May.
On Thursday, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) arrested Giribala Singh after questioning her for several hours.
The Madhya Pradesh High Court had earlier cancelled her anticipatory bail, finding that a trial court had ignored key evidence and witness testimony.
Following Twisha's death, the police had registered a case of dowry death against the Singhs. Earlier this week, the investigation was taken over by the CBI.
Twisha's death has made national headlines and has once against brought the issue of dowry deaths into the spotlight. Every year, thousands of women are murdered for bringing in insufficient dowries, even though the practice was banned in 1961.
The case has drawn significant attention because of the family's prominence. Twisha was a former beauty pageant winner and actor, while her husband and mother-in-law were lawyers.
Twisha's parents allege that dowry-related harassment began soon after her marriage to Singh. They also claim that when she became pregnant, Singh and his mother accused her of infidelity and forced her to terminate the pregnancy.
The Singhs deny the allegations, saying Twisha had mental health issues and took her own life. They also contend that the decision to terminate the pregnancy was hers.
Singh is currently in police custody. He had reportedly absconded after Twisha's death and was arrested by police in Jabalpur on 22 May.
Twisha was cremated on Sunday after a second autopsy. Her family had alleged that the first post-mortem was flawed and accused the police of a cover-up, a charge the police denied.
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Source: BBC News - World
