Husband, father-in-law arrested after woman succumbs to burn injuries

Kolkata: Mystery shrouds the death of a 28-year-old woman, who succumbed to her burn injuries in MR Bangur Hospital on Monday morning. She was a resident of Phoolbagan where in her in-laws' house she had received severe burn injuries on October 31.

The deceased's parents claimed that her in-laws had set her on fire as her father had failed them to give Rs 1 lakh to them.

While sources in police stated that the woman claimed in her statement while undergoing treatment in hospital that she had received the injuries as her saree caught fire when she was cooking.

Police said that the woman, Pinki Malik, was married to Shankar Malik seven years ago. She was originally a resident of Begusarai in Bihar.

She came to Phoolbagan at her in-law's house in 2010.

Local people claimed that her in-laws had started torturing her after two years of her marriage.

The woman's parents alleged that Pinki had contacted them over phone for the last time on October 31. She had told her parents about the demand of her in-laws. But her father told her that it was quite impossible for him to give Rs 1 lakh at present.

Within around 30 minutes after the telephonic conversation, her neighbours in Phoolbagan once again contacted her parents to inform that she received severe burn injuries.

Local people took her to hospital and she was admitted. She was undergoing treatment. She succumbed on Monday morning.

The woman's family members lodged a complaint with the police alleging that Pinki was killed as they had failed to give money to her in-laws.

The police arrested the woman's husband and father-in-law on the basis of a complaint lodged by the woman's parents.