Former Uttar Pradesh minister Amarmani Tripathi's wife Madhumani today moved the Allahabad high court for a stay on her arrest in the Madhumita Shukla murder case.

A petition seeking a directive to the Central Bureau of Investigation not to arrest Madhumani was moved before the Lucknow bench of the high court, Tripathi's lawyer V K Shahi told the Press Trust of India. The petition is likely to come up for hearing on Monday.

The CBI, which is probing the Madhumita murder case, has conducted raids at a number of places to apprehend Madhumani.

The sister of the slain poetess had alleged immediately after her murder that it was committed at the behest of Madhumani, who did not like her husband's affair with Shukla. She had, however, retracted her statement later.

Madhumani had on Wednesday last moved a surrender application in the court of Special Judicial Magistrate (CBI) R M Yadav, who directed the investigating agency to submit a detailed report. The application is likely to be taken up for hearing on Tuesday.

The CBI has already questioned Madhumani twice. But after Tripathi's arrest, CBI sources have not ruled out the arrest of others, including his family members.

Shukla, 24, was shot dead by two assailants on May 9 at her Paper Mill Colony residence in Lucknow.

PTI