Rohtak resident sets family ablaze; wife, 3-yr-old daughter die

Younger child battling for life; accused arrested

ROHTAK: A 30-year-old man set his wife and two daughters, aged two and three, ablaze in Salara area of Rohtak in the wee hours of Tuesday, police said. His wife and older daughter died in the incident.

The accused is Rajesh, a truck driver, who has been arrested. His younger daughter has sustained critical burn injuries of and is undergoing treatment at the Post Graduate Institute of Medical Sciences (PGIMS).

In his complaint, Rajesh’s father-in-law Mahender Singh said his daughter Manju Devi had married the accused seven years ago.

“Around 6am, I got a phone call from one of my daughter’s neighbours informing me about the incident. Rajesh, his sister Kiran and her husband Ashok had been harassing my daughter for many years. We suspect that Rajesh’s sister and her husband instigated him to set Manju and her daughters on fire,” he added.

A first information report (FIR) has been registered against Rajesh, Kiran and Ashok under

WOMAN’S FATHER SAYS HE SUSPECTS HER IN-LAWS MAY HAVE INSTIGATED THE ACCUSED TO COMMIT THE CRIME

sections 302 (murder), 304-B (dowry death), 323 (voluntarily causing hurt), 34 (acts done by several persons in furtherance of common intention) and 436 (mischief by fire) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).

ACCUSED HURLS STONES AT POLICE VEHICLE

Investigating officer ASI Narender Singh said when they went to arrest the accused, he pelted their vehicle with stones. “However, Rajesh was taken into custody and during questioning, he confessed that he poured oil on his wife and kids with an intention to kill them,” he added.

The probing officer said they were yet to ascertain exact motive behind the murder.

The police have registered a separate FIR against Rajesh for attacking a police team.