A 45-year-old chemist from Hyderabad in the United Kingdom devised a scheme to kill his estranged wife and her family members by 'poisoning' them with arsenic-laced salt and chilli powder, according to investigators, news agency PTI reported. According to the family members, the chemist's mother-in-law, 60, died while getting treatment in June, and the chemist held a grudge against his wife, who filed for divorce following marital difficulties.
Based on a complaint filed by the man's wife at Miyapur police station here, a case of murder, attempted murder, and criminal conspiracy was registered, and six people, including his friends and his wife's cousin, were arrested on August 18, while the chemist remains at large, police said.
According to authorities, the complainant and the chemist married in 2018, and it was their second wedding.
The pair settled in the city after their marriage, but within a few days, her spouse began psychologically abusing her. Later, he travelled for the United Kingdom, telling her to come and promising to care after her, according to a police statement. According to the police, the woman afterwards moved out of her husband's home and resided separately after sending him a divorce notice.
After the complainant's brother's marriage was set in June of this year in Hyderabad, she and her daughter travelled to the nation, and relatives also visited them. The chemist was in Hyderabad for the wedding as well.
According to the lawsuit, her family had diarrhoea, stomach aches, and vomiting, and her mother was sent to a hospital where she died while receiving treatment. Her brother, father, and sister-in-law, who all lived in the same house, were all brought to the hospital in July after suffering from diarrhoea, stomach discomfort, and vomiting.
The complainant trusted him and travelled to the United Kingdom with her daughter. However, within days of her arrival, he harassed her again with both physical and emotional abuse, prompting her to file a police complaint against her husband in the UK.