Indian ex-minister held over murder

Former leader Mayawati called in the CBI

A former Indian provincial minister has been remanded in custody after being arrested in connection with the murder of a female Hindi poet.

A court in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh ordered that Amar Mani Tripathi be held until a hearing on 6 October.

Mr Tripathi was arrested on Sunday at his residence in the Uttar Pradesh capital, Lucknow, while he was addressing a news conference.

The case has attracted particular attention because it took place in the constituency of Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee.

Mr Tripathi has denied having anything to do with her death, saying he only met her twice, and says his arrest was politically motivated.

'Seven months pregnant'

On Sunday, a spokesman for India's Central Bureau of Investigation, which is handling the case, said DNA from 24-year-old Ms Shukla's unborn foetus matched that of Mr Tripathi.

The murder victim, who was apparently unmarried, was seven months pregnant when she died, a post mortem found.

Mr Tripathi had been a minister in the Uttar Pradesh government of Chief Minister Mayawati who resigned in August after political differences with India's governing Bharatiya Janata Party.

Mr Tripathi switched his allegiance to the Samajwadi Party of Mulayam Singh Yadav, the new chief minister.

Mr Yadav won a vote of confidence in the legislative assembly with support from several members who broke away from Mayawati's party, including Mr Tripathi.

Although Madhumita Shukla's family say she was unmarried when she died, a priest in the state says he married her to a young engineering student at the end of 2002.