GURGAON: A 35-year-old man was arrested on Tuesday for allegedly setting his 23-year-old partner on fire at a flat on Sohna Road following a dispute over his marital status. The woman, who suffered severe burn injuries, died during treatment at Delhi’s Safdarjung Hospital on June 27, eight days after the incident.The accused, a resident of Jhajjar district, Haryana, who runs a gold shop in Gurgaon, was arrested by the Sector 9A police and has been booked under Section 103 (Murder) of the BNS.According to investigators, the victim, a resident of Basai, was in a relationship with him for nearly one-and-a-half years after meeting him at his shop. Police said their relationship deteriorated after she learnt that he was married, leading to frequent arguments.On June 18, the two allegedly argued at his shop. During the altercation, the woman poured kerosene kept at the shop on her clothes. Police said she later booked a flat on Sohna Road, where the pair stayed overnight.Investigators said another argument broke out on the morning of June 19, during which he allegedly set her on fire. He later took her to Artemis Hospital, from where she was referred to Safdarjung Hospital due to the severity of her burns.“When police reached Artemis Hospital on June 19 after receiving information about the burn injuries, the victim and her mother declined to initiate legal proceedings or give a statement,” Sandeep Turan, police spokesperson, said.The case gained momentum after the woman’s death. On June 30, her cousin approached the police, alleging that she told him from her hospital bed that he set her on fire and threatened to kill her, her mother and her sister if she revealed the truth.“Following the arrest, investigators also recovered the bottle of kerosene allegedly used in the incident from his shop and his mobile phone, which has been seized for examination. It has been established that the accused himself set the victim on fire following their fight,” Sandeep said.The accused was produced before a city court, which granted the police two days’ custody remand. Investigators said they are questioning him further to corroborate the sequence of events, analyse digital evidence and complete the investigation.
