Pakistani woman killed husband, 14 family members with poisoned milk, police say
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}
A Pakistani woman who set out to murder her husband after she was forced into marriage, ended up accidentally also killing more than a dozen members of his family when the poisoned milk she gave him was made into yogurt and served at a meal, police said.
Officers in Punjab province said Asiya Bibi, 20, poisoned milk her husband was supposed to drink -- but he didn’t consume it.
The milk was instead used to make lassi – a South Asian yogurt drink – and served to him and his family, Geo News reported.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}
At least 15 people, including Bidi’s husband and a 7-year-old girl, died immediately, while 12 others are being treated at a local hospital, police said Tuesday.
Police said Bibi set out to poison her husband after she was forced by her family into an arranged marriage in September, Sky News reported.
"Police have arrested Asiya Bibi, a man and his aunt for being accomplices and charged them with murder," senior police official Owais Ahmad told reporters.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}
He said the man – allegedly Bidi’s lover – and his aunt helped orchestrate the murder plot.
Forced and under-age marriages are common in Pakistan, particularly in rural and poor regions.