Cross-country biker Sana Iqbal died on Tuesday morning in a car crash that her mother has alleged was planned by Iqbal’s husband Abdul Nadeem. Nadeem was driving the car and had crashed into a divider in Hyderabad early on Tuesday. He suffered two broken ribs in the accident.

The 30-year-old’s family filed a complaint at Narsingi police station on Tuesday night, alleging she was murdered and that the accident had been planned. The police, however, told The News Minute that so far, it appears to be a genuine accident. “While it is true that they had some family issues, we have visited the site of the accident and seen clear skid marks, marking where the vehicle lost control,” Station Inspector Sudheer Kumar told the website.

Iqbal is well-known for her cross-country 38,000-km ride as part of a campaign for depression and suicide awareness.

Allegations of domestic abuse

Iqbal’s family and friends have alleged that she had been constantly harassed by Nadeem and his mother for money after they were married. “She lived with her husband only for three to four months as they were harassing her,” Iqbal’s sister Shaheen Khan told IANS. “We had also lodged complaints with the police but they did nothing beyond counselling.”

Khan added that Nadeem often visited their house and “created a scene”. She said that on Tuesday, Nadeem had insisted her sister accompany him on a drive and got angry when she had initially refused.

Iqbal and Nadeem had a son in 2015.