Chintan Upadhayay, the estranged husband of artist Hema Upadhyay, plotted the murder of his wife as he apparently wanted to get rid of the court cases that he was fighting with her, police said.

Chintan, also an artist and a "prime suspect" in the case ever since the twin murders of Hema (43) and her lawyer Harish Bhambhani (65) came to light on December 12, was arrested yesterday and sent in police custody till January 1.