Balasore, Feb. 23: Police today converted a case of road accident into that of a murder against the husband of a 19-year-old woman, who died under mysterious circumstances at Rupsa on Sunday evening.

The accused, Sakir Malick, 24, of Balaramgudi village told the police that his wife, Samina, died after a truck hit the scooter they were riding on the National Highway No. 60 near the Chudakia bridge in Rupsa police limits. The couple were thrown off the bike, and Samina died on the spot. The truck had fled from the spot.

Malick is undergoing treatment at district headquarters hospital.

However, the deceased's parents alleged that their daughter had been killed and Malick had hatched a conspiracy.

Today, they alleged that the relation between their daughter and son-in-law had gone sour on the pretext of dowry. Samina left her in-laws' house and had been staying with her parents at Baharda village for the past one month. On Sunday evening, Malick had come to their house to persuade Samina to return to Balaramgudi.

The police said the accused had hardly suffered any external injuries. The damage to the bike is minor, too. Besides, the cops have found blood stains in three places.

Basta sub-divisional police officer Gobinda Chandra Sethi said: "The preliminary investigation and evidences suggested foul play. Malick has suffered hardly any external injuries, and the bike, too, does not show accident damage."

"The needle of suspicion points towards Malick. After he is discharged, we will take him into custody. The autopsy report will also throw light on the case," he said, while adding that cases under sections of murder and dowry torture had been registered.