Mother kills daughter; sets herself on fire

A 40-year-old mother strangled her 12-year-old daughter before setting herself on fire in Jehangirpuri in Northwest Delhi on Monday morning. HT Correspondent reports.

A 40-year-old mother strangled her 12-year-old daughter before setting herself on fire in Jehangirpuri in Northwest Delhi on Monday morning.

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According to neighbours, Sharda Devi was upset over her elder son’s health who was suffering from tuberculosis. Admitted at Rajan Babu TB hospital, the son had few days to live, the police have found out.

It was a usual Monday morning for the family. Devi’s husband Mahesh Kumar (42) had left for office, ICICI branch in Model Town, where he worked a junior staff, in the morning.

The daughter, 12-year-old Chinu was sleeping in her first-floor room while the younger son, Manni (16) was sleeping at a ground floor room.

“My mother instructed me to get ready to visit my brother in hospital. She went upstairs again,” said Manni, his face white with tears.

“After a few minutes, I heard her scream. I went upstairs to see her body in flames.”

In flames, Devi fell from the first floor balcony of her four-storey house, after which she was rushed to the Babu Jagjivan Ram hospital where she died.

While neighbours tried to stifle the flames with blankets, Manni went to check on his sister Chinu. “She was gasping for breath with a stole tied around her neck,” he said.

“At the hospital, Chinu was declared dead-on-arrival, while Devi was admitted with 100 per cent burns,” said a police officer.