Delhi: Man burned after shop owner throws petrol on him during argument

The accused, Gaya Prasad alias Kalu, runs a two-wheeler repair shop in RK Puram Sector 8. The argument was over moving a car

A shop owner threw petrol on a man sitting in a car outside his shop during an argument over moving the vehicle, causing the man to catch fire from a lit cigarette and suffer 20% burn injuries, police said on Monday, adding that the shop owner has been arrested for attempted murder.

The victim, identified as Rahul Chauhan, a resident of Vasant Gaon in south Delhi who works as a sanitation worker in the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD), is undergoing treatment at the AIIMS Trauma Centre. (Representational image)

The victim, identified as Rahul Chauhan, a resident of Vasant Gaon in south Delhi who works as a sanitation worker in the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD), is undergoing treatment at the AIIMS Trauma Centre. The accused, Gaya Prasad alias Kalu, runs a two-wheeler repair shop in RK Puram Sector 8.

“The incident took place at 9.30pm on Sunday when Chauhan halted his Maruti Baleno car outside Kalu’s repair shop and sat in the car smoking cigarettes with a relative and two friends. Kalu allegedly asked Chauhan to move the car, which he refused to do so. Agitated, Kalu reportedly poured petrol on Chauhan, and a fire broke out due to the cigarette being smoked by the four people in the car, resulting in burn injuries to Chauhan’s face and chest. The car was also damaged in the fire,” said deputy Commissioner of Police (southwest) Amit Goel.

Locals called the police after which a team from the RK Puram police station arrived on the scene and rushed Chauhan to the AIIMS Trauma Centre in a police van, accompanied by his friends and the relative. “Chauhan’s relative Siddhant Raj, who was with him in the car at the time, told us what happened,” DCP Goel added.

Police apprehended Kalu and booked him for attempted murder. The first information report (FIR) was registered at the RK Puram police station, police said. Kalu is currently being questioned by police, they added.