Mumbai: 5 men who set friend ablaze on birthday envied his complexion

The five men who allegedly set Kurla resident Abul Rehman Maqsood Alam Khan ablaze used to bully him often

MUMBAI: The five men who allegedly set Kurla resident Abul Rehman Maqsood Alam Khan ablaze while celebrating his birthday late at night on Monday envied him for his complexion and used to bully him often, he told Hindustan Times.

Abul Rehman Maqsood Alam Khan is the son of a scrap dealer and a third-year student at Khalsa College in Matunga

“They always bullied me as I was fairer than them. On my last birthday too, they had called me for a celebration, but I was saved as I had gone out with my college friends,” said Khan, who received 35% burns and is under treatment at City Hospital in Vinoba Bhave Nagar.

The accused had likely planned a stunt similar to the one in which he sustained burns, he apprehended.

The son of a scrap dealer and a third-year student at Khalsa College in Matunga, Khan lives in Kohinoor Phase 3 at Kirol Road in Kurla. The five accused – Ayaz Malik, Ashraf Malik, Qasim Chowdhury, Huzzaifa Khan and Sharif Shaikh – lived in the same building earlier and were known to him, he said.

“They called me late at night on Monday and asked me to meet them so we could usher in my birthday together when midnight struck,” Khan said.

The five men had bought a cake for him, but as soon as he reached the designated spot, they started throwing stones at him, according to the first information report registered by the police. Then, Ayaz Malik allegedly whipped out a bottle of petrol and poured it on Khan. When he tried to run away, the others caught hold of him while Ashraf Malik allegedly set him on fire using a lighter.

“All of them were laughing after setting me on fire. No one came to my rescue. I removed my t-shirt myself while watching them run away and doused the fire myself,” Khan said.

The 21-year-old sustained burn injuries on his head, face, ears, hands and chest, and was rushed to the hospital by a friend shortly after the incident, a police officer aware of the matter said. All five accused were arrested on Tuesday, the officer added.

But Khan, recuperating at the hospital, said the police should have booked the five accused for attempt to murder, not culpable homicide.

“They wanted to kill me and would have succeeded. Attempt to murder charges should be pressed against them,” he insisted.