Chhatarpur (Madhya Pradesh): A man poured petrol on his wife after assaulting her for hours and then set her on fire in Chhatarpur, police said on Monday.
The incident took place in the Civil Lines police station area of Chhatarpur.
According to information, the shocking incident took place in Naya Chandrapur locality.
The woman suffered serious burn injuries and is undergoing treatment at the district hospital. Doctors say her condition is serious but she is currently out of danger.
The victim, Rashmi Rajput, told police that on Sunday her husband Raju Rajput beat her throughout the day and also tried to hang her. When she somehow managed to save herself, he poured petrol on her between 4 and 5 pm and set her on fire.
As flames engulfed her, Rashmi ran to save her life. Her husband chased her, but she managed to hide in a heap of straw. She stayed hidden there the entire night while the accused kept searching for her.
She walked nearly 4 km in a burnt condition
Early next morning, Rashmi walked nearly four kilometers in a burnt condition and reached the Civil Lines Police Station, where she informed the police about the incident. She was immediately shifted to the district hospital for treatment.
Civil Lines police station in-charge Satish Singh said the accused first assaulted the woman and later tried to burn her alive. Her statements are being recorded and a search has been launched to arrest the accused. A zero FIR has been registered and investigation is underway.
Doctor Manoj Chaudhary said the woman has suffered severe burns, but her condition is stable at present.
According to the victim’s family, Rashmi has three children. She has told police that she does not want action against her husband, fearing that if he is jailed, her children will be left without support. Police said legal action will be taken as per law based on her statement.
