Pregnant wife set ablaze for protesting against spouse’s affair

A 19-year-old housewife who was six months pregnant has been set on fire by her husband after she protested against her husband’s extra-marital relationship.

The incident occurred at Sahapara in Malda on late Saturday night.

The victim, Tumpa Saha has been undergoing treatment at Malda Medical College and Hospital 

but her condition is stated to be critical.

According to the doctors, more than 80 per cent of her body was burnt in the incident. The victim’s 

husband has been absconding since the incident.

Police said that the victim was married to Kajol Saha, a resident of Old Malda, nearly a year ago. A quarrel broke out between the two after the housewife came to know that her husband was having an extra-marital relationship and she had started protesting against the incident but it had hardly any effect on the husband and he went ahead with the illicit relationship.

The situation turned ugly after the victim found her husband along with his paramour in a compromising situation a few days ago.

Kajol threatened her with dire consequences if she protested. The victim was even beaten up by 

her husband after she asked him to end the illicit relationship.

As Tumpa could not bear such a situation she lodged a complaint in the local police station against her husband. Following the incident the accused had intensified the torture.

It was alleged that on Saturday night the accused sprinkled kerosene on Tumpa’s body and set her on fire. To save herself she jumped in a nearby pond.

After hearing her screams, the local people rushed to the spot and rescued her and admitted her to Malda Medical College and Hospital with serious burn injuries.

The victim’s father who was rickshaw puller died a few months ago. Her husband puts stalls at 

various fairs and sometimes indulges in gambling.

Initially after marriage the relationship between the two was good but after she came to know about the extra-marital affair, the husband started torturing her.

The victim’s mother said that they had lodged complaints with the police against the accused, but later withdrew the complaint thinking about the future of their daughter.