Seven sustain burns as spurned husband sets house on fire

KANPUR : A man became so furious on his wife’s refusal to live with him that he set her parents’ house on fire in Juhi area of Kanpur-South. Seven people of her family, including three children, sustained burns and were undergoing treatment.

SP, Kanpur-South Deepak Bhuker said the police arrested the accused Mukesh Kumar from Jhakarkati bus terminal. The injured were timely rescued and taken to the hospital where they were being treated. Two of them were in serious condition.

According to family members, a truck driver Mukesh of Bilgram in Hardoi had married Manisha of Rattupurwa.

As Mukesh was an alcoholic, Manisha had gone to live with her parents during the lockdown and did not return to him.

Ten days ago she gave birth to a baby boy in a local hospital. For two days, Mukesh had been insisting on taking Manisha back to his house in Bilgram but Manisha was refusing.

Early this morning, Mukesh allegedly reached her house with 20 litres of petrol and started shouting that if she did not accompany him he would burn everyone, said the complaint filed with the police.

When no one responded, he sprinkled petrol inside the house and set it on fire.

Manisha’s father Heeralal, 60, mother Shiv Kumari, 55, brother Manish, 17, Radha, 7, Uma, 5, Manisha and her son received burns.

Shiv Kumari and Heeralal have sustained more than 50 % burns. Bhuker said after the incident Mukesh called the other family members from different numbers and threatened them.