A police constable allegedly set on fire his pregnant girlfriend for coming in the way of his proposed marriage with another woman, police said today. The woman, who suffered fifty per cent burns, is out of danger, doctors at the government general hospital said. Kishore Babu (25), a constable posted in Guntur had struck an acquintance with Shivani Priya (22) when they were in Hyderabad, police said.

However, he was later appointed as a constable in Guntur and planned to marry another woman. But Shivani, who claimed that she was pregnant from him, went to his place and argued with him, police said.

Annoyed over this, the constable put kersone on her and set her ablaze, they added.

When his neighbors noticed this, they rescued the woman and later admitted her to government hospital.

The accused fled from the spot, police said adding that further probe was on.