Hyderabad, Jul 29 (IANS): A youth Congress leader has been arrested by the police in Hyderabad for allegedly murdering his wife.

Vallabh Reddy had claimed that his wife Lahari (27) died of cardiac arrest.

He had brought Lahari to a corporate hospital with a head injury on July 14. Doctors declared her brought dead.

Vallabh Reddy, son of Ranga Sai Reddy, Congress leader from Nalgonda, had told doctors that Lahari fell down while doing household work and suffered head injuries.

Lahari Reddy’s father, Koti Jaipal Reddy had lodged a complaint with the Narayanguda police raising doubts about the circumstances surrounding her death.

Jaipal Reddy told police that he received a distress call that Lahari had fallen and sustained head injuries. When he rushed to the hospital with his wife, they were informed that Lahari had suffered a heart attack.

Police had registered a case of death under suspicious circumstances and an autopsy was conducted the same day.

Vallabh Reddy had remained composed and performed last rites and participated in subsequent rituals.

However, the autopsy report revealed that Lahari had also sustained internal injuries in her abdomen.

Police arrested Vallabh Reddy on murder charges. He was also booked for causing disappearance of evidence.

Preliminary investigation revealed that the accused thrashed his wife during an argument on the night of July 13. He allegedly pushed her against a wall, resulting in the head injury.

They had married last year and were residing at Himayat Nagar in Hyderabad.