Hyderabad: The Rachakonda police on Tuesday arrested Mudu Rishi Kumar and his parents for setting his wife M. Harika ablaze after she failed to secure an MBBS seat. The accused killed Harika on Sunday night and told her parents that she had committed suicide. An investigation was conducted based on a complaint filed by Harika’s parents.

According to the police, Harika and Rishi Kumar had been married for two years. At the time of their marriage, her parents had given Rishi Rs 5 lakh in cash and two acres of agricultural land as dowry, but he had put forth the condition that he would not live with his wife until she secured an MBBS seat. He enrolled her in a medical coaching class.

Harika was unable to qualify for a medical seat in Eamcet 2016. In 2017, she again failed to secure an MBBS seat through NEET, but managed to secure a BDS seat at the Kamineni Institute of Dental Sciences, Narketpally.

Since she did not secure an MBBS seat, Rishi started harassing her mentally and physically. He demanded repayment of the amount that he had spent on her coaching classes and an additional Rs 5 lakh as dowry. He was supported by his parents Muda Hari, a retired police inspector, and M. Aruna, a housewife.

On Sunday night, Rishi got into an argument with Harika, poured turpentine oil on her, and set her ablaze, resulting in her death. Though he and his parents claimed that Harika had committed suicide, investigations revealed that she had, in fact, been killed. Rishi and his parents were arrested and sent to judicial remand.