After a tiff with husband and mother-in-law, a 25-year-old woman set herself on fire in front of her house in Jemco under Telco thana area this morning.
The woman, Priya Jha, who is mother of three children -- two sons and a daughter -- is struggling for her life at the Tata Main Hospital's burn care unit. She has sustained 80 percent burns.
As she got engulfed in fire, she was rescued by the neighbours and later she was rushed to MGM Medical College Hospital by her mother-in-law Sugina Devi. From the medical college hospital she was shifted to Tata Main Hospital.
Officer-in-charge, Telco police station Jayant Tirkey who rushed to the medical college hospital's burn care unit and also to the Tata Main Hospital said that the burnt woman has not said anything else than that she has set herself on fire.
"We are investigating the incident and it is too early to comment. The woman has not made a detailed statement and has just said she has tried to commit suicide by burning herself," said Tirkey.
Priya's mother Munni Devi, who resides at Adityapur in adjoining Seraikela-Kharsawan district, however, claimed that she has tried to commit suicide due to torture inflicted by her husband Surjeet Jha and mother-in-law Sugina Devi.Munni Devi said her daughter was facing problems by her husband and mother-in-law since the past one year.
"A month ago, I and my daughter had to approach the Telco thana for lodging a complaint against Surjeet and Sugina Devi, but the police did not pay heed to our complaint. As a result of which both the accused continued to inflict mental and physical torutre, leading her duaghter ultimately to take this drastic step," Munni Devi said.
The officer-in-charge, Telco police station, when enquired, admitted that Priya had come along with her mother for lodging a complaint against her husband and mother-in-law. He said as it was a family quarrel, they sent them back as it was a family matter which should have been settled in family itself. They were hopeful that the matter will be solved.
At the time Priya set herself on fire, there were her brothers-in-law Rajiv Jha, Vinod Jha and their wife Prito and Priyanka beside Sugina Devi and Surjeet at home.