The 25-year-old woman, who was allegedly set on fire by her father-in-law Gyan Singh, a Deputy Superintendent of Tihar Jail and her husband on Wednesday evening, succumbed to her injuries on Sunday night at Safdarjung Hospital. The deceased, identified as Usha, was brought to the hospital with 65 per cent burns after the father-son duo had allegedly tried to burn her alive for failing to meet dowry demands. The incident had taken place in Mahipalpur area of South Delhi.
Fifty-year-old Singh and his son Nitin (27), who were arrested under Section 498A (Husband or relative of husband of a woman subjecting her to cruelty) and 307 (Attempt to murder)/34 (common intention) of IPC, may now have to face a case of murder.
“We had registered a case of attempt to murder in this regard at Vasant Kunj (North) police station, which will now be converted into a case of 302 (murder). We will now investigate whether it is a case of murder or culpable homicide not amounting to murder (304),” said DCP (South) Prem Nath.
Singh and his son were arrested after the Sub-Divisional Magistrate recorded the statement of the victim as their marriage was less than seven years. In her statement, the victim alleged that she was being harassed by her husband, mother-in-law and father-in-law for dowry. On Wednesday evening, Singh slit her wrist with a blade and they set her ablaze by pouring kerosene oil. Usha and Nitin had got married in 2011 and they even had a two-year-old son. Victim’s brother alleged that she was being harassed by her in-laws for dowry for a long time. Singh and Nitin were sent to judicial custody. According to Tihar authorities, both accused have been lodged in jail no. 4.