In a case that rarely occurs in Uttarakhand, a Nepali national allegedly doused his wife with some inflammable liquid and lighted her on Sunday. She died on Monday morning while the accused fled. Police said they are still clueless about where he has fled to. “Maybe, he has crossed over to Nepal, using the open frontier,” a police officer probing the case said.
The accused has been identified as Suresh Thapa alias Raja, a Nepali national, aged around 32 years, said Pithoragarh Superintendent of Police Roshan lal Sharma. Teams have been formed to nab the accused. The accused earned his livelihood through painting houses. He was living along with his 28-year-old wife in a rented accommodation in Maharishi colony, Jajardeval, Pithoragarh for the past two years.
Police rushed to the spot after being informed about the incident on Sunday. When police reached the spot, they found that the body had sustained 90 per cent burns. They also found the husband having absconded. The woman was admitted at a local hospital where she died on Monday. The accused had left his mobile phone behind at the incident site. Police seized it.
House owner Durga Dutt Pandey registered a complaint in the Kotwali Police Station in connection with the case. However, he said he is unaware of exactly where his tenant Thapa hails from. This was because he did not care to have his identity verified by police. Taking cognisance of the complaint, a case under section 307 of IPC was registered in Kotwali Police Station, Pithoragarh, said SP Sharma, adding that some persons are being grilled to track the fugitive.