Months after love marriage, Bihar man sets wife on fire for saying no to divorce

The two got married nine months ago. However, due to several differences, the man wanted to end their marriage.

In Short

• Witnesses spotted Damini engulfed in flames and called an ambulance
• The accused confessed during questioning and described the late-night sequence to cops
• The dispute over divorce led to the fatal killing

A 21-year-old woman died of severe burn injuries at a hospital in Bihar’s Supaul district on Sunday morning after her husband set her on fire over a divorce dispute. The accused, Sanjeev Sah, wanted to end his marriage to Damini Kumari, but she was unwilling to agree to a divorce, which led to the confrontation.

According to the police, Sanjeev took Damini to an isolated spot, poured petrol on her and set her on fire before fleeing.

People who saw Damini running, engulfed in flames, alerted the police and called an ambulance. She was taken to a nearby hospital, where she succumbed to her injuries on Sunday morning.

HUSBAND CONFESSES TO THE CRIME

During questioning, Sanjeev confessed to setting his wife on fire and recounted the sequence of events leading up to the incident.

According to his account, he and Damini rode towards the eastern Kosi embankment. He then bought a bottle of petrol from a shop along the border road and placed it in Damini’s plastic bag.

Sanjeev then took her to Baisi Road, about 17 km along the Kosi embankment. At around 10 pm, he stopped near a canal at Lalmanpatti, poured petrol over her and set her on fire with a matchstick. He then fled the spot.

Sanjeev also told investigators that he decided to kill Damini because she was unwilling to sign the divorce papers. He said he had filed for divorce in Muzaffarpur, but she did not want to sign the documents.

COUPLE MET ON INSTAGRAM, MARRIED NINE MONTHS AGO

According to the police, Sanjeev and Damini first came into contact through Instagram around two years ago. They continued talking and eventually married around nine months ago.

Sanjeev told investigators that Damini had visited his home once after their marriage but returned the following day. He also visited his marital home occasionally.

The couple later developed differences over certain issues. Sanjeev wanted to end the marriage, while Damini was unwilling to agree to a divorce, police said.

POLICE DETAIN ACCUSED’S FATHER, INVESTIGATE CASE

Police launched an investigation after the incident and found evidence of a flammable substance, suspected to be petrol, at the scene. Sanjeev was taken into custody and subsequently arrested.

Police also detained his father, Kinu Sah, for questioning and presented him before the court. However, his role in the incident has not been specified.

Senior cop Pawan Kumar said legal action was being taken on the basis of a complaint filed by the victim’s family. The investigation is underway.

- Ends
Inputs from Ramchandra Mehta