Kendrapara, Dec. 18: A 32-year-old woman was allegedly burnt alive by her husband at Baulanga village in Pattamundai police station area yesterday because she failed to conceive a baby.

Gopabandhu Dash, the husband of the deceased, Pramila Dash, was taken into custody today on the charge of murder. The body was sent for post-mortem.

The arrest was made after the deceased’s father Gopinath Dash lodged a complaint in this connection, said inspector of Pattamundai police station Amitabh Mahapatra.

Preliminary investigation revealed that the couple had a strained relationship because of Pramila’s infertility.

The couple was married for the past one decade. However, they did not have any child. Her husband has also been accused of inflicting physical and mental torture on her. Besides, he was also demanding more and more dowry from Pramila’s parents, said Pramila’s father in his police complaint.

In another development, two minors detained in connection with alleged rape of a minor girl on August 8 at Danramuda village within the limits of Marshaghai police station have been released as investigating officials found them innocent.