A man allegedly set his house on fire in South-east Delhi’s Jaitpur area after a fight with his wife on Sunday morning. He, his wife, son and a relative were injured in the incident, police said. However, his daughter managed to escape from the house, they added.
The victims are admitted to the burns ward of the Safdurjung hospital, police said. “Three fire tenders were rushed to the spot to douse the blaze. The victims were taken to the Safdarjung Hospital,” the official added.
According to the police, Kenai Ram Mondal (38) set his house on fire around 5 am when his family members were asleep. His neighbours raised an alarm and informed the PCR and the fire department.
Apart from Mondal, his wife Sharmila (34), son Amit (12) and a relative, Rang Lal (65), were injured in the incident. While Mondal suffered 15 per cent burns, Sharmila and Lal were brought to the hospital with 40 per cent injury, police said. They added his son had received 70 per cent burns and doctors have described his condition as critical.
The police said Mondal and his wife used to fight daily. On Saturday evening too, the couple had a tiff, after which some of the neighbours intervened and asked Mondal to go to his shop. In the wee hours of Sunday, he returned home while everyone was asleep. He allegedly poured petrol on himself and his family members and set them on fire. In the meantime, Mondal’s daughter managed to escape, police said, adding that and his motive for taking the extreme step was yet to be ascertained.