DEHRADUN: Uttarakhand Police on Wednesday arrested a man for allegedly assaulting his eight-month-pregnant wife, leading to the death of their unborn child.Seema, a resident of Vikas Nagar, is in critical condition after doctors performed surgery at Doon Hospital on Tuesday to remove the stillborn child, news agency PTI reported.According to the police, Seema married Babloo seven years ago. Originally from Haryana’s Panipat, Babloo was living in Vikas Nagar, and the couple has two daughters.On Friday, a dispute broke out between Seema and Babloo. During the fight, Babloo allegedly kicked and punched his wife in the abdomen and beat her with a wooden stick. The assault resulted in the death of the eight-month-old foetus, police said.The incident came to light when Seema’s father, Sher Singh, went to meet his daughter but was blocked from entering the house by Babloo. Growing suspicious, Singh contacted the police.Soon after, a police team reached the spot and took both the accused and the victim to the Sahaspur police station, PTI reported.Seema was then taken to the Sahaspur hospital and later referred to the Doon Hospital, where doctors confirmed the death of the foetus.Seema’s father subsequently lodged a complaint. Sahaspur sub-inspector Neeraj Tyagi said a case has been registered against Babloo under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).The victim’s family alleged that Babloo had forcibly taken Seema to Panipat a few days earlier for an illegal prenatal sex determination test. They claimed that the accused turned violent after learning that the foetus was a girl, though the police did not confirm the allegation.However, Sahaspur SHO Pradeep Rawat said the initial investigation suggested the dispute was triggered by a land deal. “The accused claimed that he purchased a plot in his wife’s name, which she sold without his knowledge to give the money to her parents,” the SHO said.(With agency inputs)