Man held for setting live-in partner ablaze

Thane: A man from Kalwa area here was arrested for allegedly setting ablaze his live-in partner, police said on Thursday.

Ramashraya alias Raju Pal set on fire the victim on Tuesday after an altercation broke out between the two, a Kalwa police station official said.

According to police, the victim, a scrap collector, was married and had four children. She had moved out of her house in Jai Bhim Nagar area around six months ago after she was fed up with constant harassment by her husband, who was an alcoholic.

She later came in contact with Raju, also a scrap dealer, and moved in with him. But soon he too began to abuse her under the influence of alcohol, the officer said.

On June 6, Raju came home heavily drunk and had a scuffle with the victim. In a fit of rage, he poured kerosene on her to set her on flames, said police.

She was grievously injured and sustained around 70 per cent burn wounds, the officer said, adding Raju was booked under IPC sections 307 (attempt to murder), 323 (voluntarily causing hurt) and 504 (intentional insult).