25-year-old set on fire by woman dies, probe on

Numaan told investigators that he was set on fire by the woman who was his relative and lived close to him.

A 25-year-old man, who was set on fire allegedly by a 23-year-old woman in north Delhi’s Wazirabad on January 3, died of burns in a government hospital on Friday, the Delhi Police said on Saturday, adding that it has registered a case on charges of attempt to murder.

Deputy commissioner of police (north) Manoj Kumar Meena identified the victim as Mohammed Numaan, a resident of Sangam Vihar in Wazirabad. (Representational image)

Deputy commissioner of police (north) Manoj Kumar Meena identified the victim as Mohammed Numaan, a resident of Sangam Vihar in Wazirabad.

According to police, Numaan suffered 75% burns. Before his death, he told investigators that he was in love with the woman who set him ablaze

“The incident was reported on Wednesday at 4pm. A case under Section 307 of the Indian Penal Code was registered,” Meena said.

At the hospital, Numaan told investigators that he was set on fire by the woman who was his relative and lived close to him. “He said that she told him to go to her house and then poured some inflammatory substance over him and set him on fire,” the officer said.

DCP Meena added that the scene has been forensically examined. “Initial investigations have revealed certain discrepancies in the statement of the man,” he said, adding that further action will be taken according to the evidence.

Numaan’s brother Mohammed Imran, 20, said that his brother was a supervisor with an e-commerce company and was in a relationship with the woman for a few years.

Imran also shared a purported video, which HT has seen, in which Numaan claimed the woman poured petrol over him while he was climbing the stairs to her house. In the video, Numaan said he ran outside the building after which locals doused the fire.

“Initially, we thought that he may have done it himself but we have seen the CCTV footage of Numaan going to her house and he wasn’t carrying anything,” Imran alleged.

An investigator said that they have questioned the woman and working on gathering evidence in the case for further action.