MEERUT, Feb. 18 -- A Muzaffarnagar woman allegedly drugged her family's dinner with sleeping pills on Monday night, waited for midnight, then strangled her three-year-old niece, drowned her in a water tank, and stabbed her sister-in-law, all because she was forbidden from speaking to her lover.

Sanjay Kumar Verma, senior superintendent of police (SSP), confirmed the accused is in custody and that further action will follow upon receipt of a formal complaint. The victim's husband, Imran, a clothes seller based in Lucknow, was away at the time. The investigation is ongoing.

The accused, identified as Mana, carried out the alleged attacks inside their home in Basi Kalan village under Shahpur Police Station limits, leaving four others injur...