Indian Woman And Baby Daughter Burned To Death By Husband Who Wanted A Boy

Man Burns Wife And Baby Daughter To Death Over Dowry

Annu Devi, 22, was set ablaze with petrol while she breastfed her baby girl.

Her husband, Gunjan Masat, has been arrested by police in the eastern Indian state of Jharkhand.

Rallies highlighting the plight of women in India have been ongoing for months

He had placed the burnt body of his wife next to the fire place of their home in an attempt to make it look like an accident.

Raghuni Rana, the woman's father, said the couple had been happily married for a year but he became agitated when they had a daughter, reports the Daily Mail.

He told police: "They wanted a son but didn't realise that giving birth to a girl was not Devi's fault.

"They were demanding a TV set and a motorcycle. I had already given them two bighas (1.6 acres) of land in dowry. They started harassing and torturing her until they decided to end her life."

India has come under fierce criticism for the danger posed to women in the country after a string of horrific gang rapes particularly after the case of a 23-year-old student in late 2012.

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