Baripada: Police have arrested a 40-year-old man for torturing his pregnant wife, who died after giving birth to a girl.

The accused, Rajesh Sethi of Manada village in Banakati gram panchayat, was forwarded to court after being booked under section 304 (culpable homicide not amounting to murder) and 498(a) (cruelty or torture of a woman), said Baripada sub-divisional police officer Abhimanyu Nayak.

The parents of Mita, the deceased, alleged the couple used to have frequent fights since she got pregnant with Rajesh suspecting her fidelity. The couple already had two children - a girl and a boy.

On Friday night, the two had a heated argument with her husband on the same issue following which she went off to sleep with her two children locking the room from inside.

Late in the night, she gave birth to a girl in the room. Since she did not open the door, the husband informed the situation to Mita's parents, who came over, broke open the door and found the mother and the newborn.

Although the mother and the newborn were rushed to the nearest community health centre at Bangiriposhi, she died of excess bleeding following the delivery. The critically ill newborn was shifted to the PRM Medical College and Hospital in Baripada.

Mita's brother Manish, alleged his sister was tortured by her husband because the latter suspected the third child was not his. He said: "She was tortured as the accused suspected her of being in an extramarital relationship." "The accused has been arrested based on the allegation," Nayak said. "The newborn is still undergoing treatment and her condition is critical."