Amarmani Tripathi denies any connection with the murder

Madhumani Tripathi is wanted for questioning over the high profile murder of a young female poet.

Mrs Tripathi has been on the run since December and was remanded in custody until 8 April.

The murder last year attracted attention because it took place in the constituency of the prime minister.

Conspiracy to murder

Mrs Tripathi's husband, Amarmani, has been in prison since September in connection with the murder of the poet, Madhumita Shukla.

The couple are accused of conspiring to murder her.

Her surrender before the courts was made more dramatic by the fact that officials from the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) tried to arrest her before she surrendered before the court.

The BBC's Ram Dutt Tripathi in Lucknow says this resulted in a scuffle between CBI officials and advocates accompanying her.

Advocate Vijay Vikram made a written complain to the judicial magistrate that Madhumani was manhandled by the CBI.

Order was only restored when women police were called to the court to take Mrs Tripathi into custody.

The CBI earlier said that the murdered poet was carrying the former minister's child and the affair had become an embarrassment to him and his wife.

Mr Tripathi has denied having anything to do with Madhumita's death, saying he only met her twice.