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Pakistani bride arrested for deaths of 15 from poisonous milk

By Allen Cone

Oct. 31 (UPI) -- Police in Pakistan have arrested a woman in the deaths of 15 family members, who they say consumed poisonous milk.

Police in Muzaffargarh, a city in south Punjab, said the woman wanted to "avenge" being married to her husband against her wishes earlier this year.

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According to police, the bride left her husband and intended to stay with her parents last week -- but her family sent her back to her in-laws.

The woman then allegedly mixed poison in her husband's milk, which he refused to drink. The man's mother, however, unknowingly used it to make a traditional yogurt-based drink called lassi.

The milk was ultimately served to as many as 27 people -- 15 of whom died. The others were hospitalized.

Police arrested the woman, who they said confessed to the crime -- and told them her cousin, who she'd wanted to marry, furnished the poison. He was also arrested.

Initially, the woman said a lizard had fallen into the milk and poisoned it.

Pakistan has strengthened laws to prevent child marriage and forced conversion, but it doesn't cover a partner chosen for them by their family.

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