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A 22-year-old woman was allegedly beaten to death and the body set on fire by her husband and in-laws in Shravasti, Uttar Pradesh, police said on Monday, claiming it was a case of dowry death but her family insisted she was killed because she had refused to accept triple talaq given to her on phone.
According to Superintendent of Police Ashish Srivastava, the incident was reported on Friday from Gadra village near the India-Nepal border.
He said a case of dowry death has been registered against eight persons on the basis of the complaint of the victim Saeeda's family and her husband and father-in law have been arrested.
"So far no talaq angle has emerged. If it emerges, action will be taken accordingly," he said.
Saeeda and Nafees, both residents of the same village, married about six years ago. Nafees works in Mumbai and they have two children.
Saeeda's father Ramzan told reporters on Saturday that his daughter was often beaten up by her husband and in-laws.
On August 6, Nafees divorced Saeeda on phone, he said.
The practice of triple talaq has been criminalised by a law passed by Parliament last month.
The father said Nafees had returned home for Eid-al-Adha and they had approached police for a compromise. This Friday, both sides reached an agreement and Nafees took Saeeda home.
He and his family members then killed Saeeda and burnt her body, Ramzan said, adding this was done in presence of his six-year-old grand daughter.
They allegedly poured kerosene on the body to set it on fire.
Police, however, denied Saeeda's family had approached them for any compromise and said it was a case of dowry death.
"Saeeda's husband and her father-in-law have been arrested," SP Srivastava said, adding action against others will be taken based on investigation.