CUDDAPAH. An NRI, based at New Jersey in the US, Ravindra Naidu Vepati (43), and his mother, Sakunthalamma Vepati, have been arrested in Hyderabad by the Cuddapah police on a complaint lodged by his wife, Mahitha Vepati, also an NRI, according to the Superintendent of Police, V.C. Sajjanar.

Mahitha, who was granted divorce from Ravindra Naidu by a New Jersey court, has complained to the Cuddapah police that her husband brought their four-year-old daughter, Snighda, to India contravening the court's orders.

The SP told a press conference last night that a software engineer in the US, Ravindra, married Mahitha in 1998. As misgivings cropped up, they secured divorce in August 2003 from the court which directed that their only daughter stay with her mother for five days in a week and with her father for the remaining two days.

But Ravindra sold away his properties and returned to India with his daughter three months ago, the woman complained, according to the SP.

Mahitha has approached the court again and it ordered handing over of the daughter to the sole custody of her mother.

During investigation by the Cuddapah West CI, Raghu Dalavai, under the supervision of the Cuddapah DSP, M. Ramprasada Rao, the whereabouts of the accused have been traced through a telephone number and the Cuddapah Taluk sub-inspector, Ramakanth, and three constables arrested them in Hyderabad.

The SP said that the New Jersey court orders were perused and the child handed over to its mother through court. The accused would be produced in court, he said.