New Delhi [India], May 19 (HBTV): In a shocking incident reported from North West Delhi, a man died after allegedly setting himself on fire outside his wife's residence in the Jahangirpuri police station area late on Sunday, police said on Tuesday.
Delhi Police said that an inquiry has been initiated, and the man's wife and mother-in-law have been detained for questioning to ascertain the exact sequence of events.
Police said they received a PCR call on May 18 regarding a fire incident under the Mahendra Park Police Station area from a residence in Jahangirpuri.
Police personnel, along with the Station House Officer (SHO), reached the spot and found the man, identified as Deepansh Chaudhary, in a severely burnt condition. He was shifted to Babu Jagjivan Ram Memorial (BJRM) Hospital, where he was declared dead during treatment.
According to police, preliminary inquiry revealed that the deceased and his wife were facing matrimonial disputes, and a complaint had earlier been lodged at the Crime Against Women (CAW) Cell. On the day of the incident, after an altercation, the deceased allegedly threatened to commit suicide and later set himself on fire outside his wife's residence, a police statement said.
Meanwhile, the owner of a house inside the residential building where the incident took place recounted the events of the night.
'Last night at around 8:30 pm, when news of a fire broke out, my husband, my mother-in-law and I were inside the house. We initially assumed the fire had started somewhere outside or that a short circuit had occurred. Subsequently, people gathered at our doorstep and informed us that the fire was actually inside our own home,' said Paramjeet, the owner of the house.
'As soon as we stepped outside to investigate, we saw a young man descending while engulfed in flames. He then fell down the staircase and landed at the bottom. He was completely naked, and his entire body was severely burnt. After lying there for about 10 minutes, he gave a statement. We called the SHO because, at that moment, we were unable to get through to the emergency helpline 112. We also called for an ambulance,' Paramjeet said.
She further alleged that a police officer recorded the victim's statement on a mobile phone.
'The victim alleged that his wife and mother-in-law had set him on fire and had enlisted the help of two to three other individuals,' she said.
Paramjeet also claimed that the victim made allegations regarding an affair involving his wife.
'He also made certain allegations regarding an affair, claiming that his wife was involved with two to three other men. When we informed his family about the incident, his wife refused to come downstairs, stating that he should simply be left to burn. No one from his family came forward. The police arrived later, took his statement and transported him in the ambulance. Later, we learned that he had passed away,' she added.
(ANI)