Daijiworld Media Network - Nalanda

Nalanda, Oct 12: In a gruesome incident that has shocked Bihar’s Nalanda district, a man allegedly set his wife on fire after she objected to his plan of marrying his girlfriend, officials said on Saturday.

The accused, identified as Vikas Kumar, had married Sunita Devi (25) five years ago. According to her family, it was only after the marriage that they discovered Kumar was already married and had not divorced his first wife.

Despite initial resistance, Sunita was persuaded to live with him, and the couple had two children who died shortly after birth. However, disputes began when Kumar expressed his intention to marry his girlfriend, leading Sunita to leave him and stay with her parents.

Before the Durga Puja festival, Kumar visited Sunita’s home and asked her to return with him. On Friday night, he allegedly poured petrol on her, released LPG gas, and set her ablaze.

Around 1 am, Sunita called her brother, saying Kumar had locked her in the courtyard after dousing her with petrol and igniting the gas stove. “She said she would not survive,” a police official said. Moments later, her phone went dead.

When her family rushed to the village, they found Kumar and his relatives preparing to cremate her body. The accused and his family fled upon seeing them.

“A police team reached the spot and began an investigation. The forensic team collected samples, and the body was handed over to the woman’s family after postmortem. The in-laws are currently absconding,” said Station House Officer Anil Kumar Pandey.