Contradictory claims emerge in Indapur teen immolation case

The teenager, identified by the police as Kismat Shabbir Khan, said he works in a butcher’s shop and was in love with Komal Ghorpade, daughter of the accused couple.

Contradictory claims have emerged in the case of a 19-year-old Muslim boy from Indapur taluka in Pune district who has suffered 55% burns and is undergoing treatment in a Solapur hospital. While the teenager in his statement to the police said he was set on fire by the parents of the girl from another community, the accused have alleged that he immolated himself.

Contradictory claims have emerged in the case of a 19-year-old Muslim boy from Indapur taluka in Pune district who has suffered 55% burns and is undergoing treatment in a Solapur hospital. (AFP)

The teenager, identified by the police as Kismat Shabbir Khan, said he works in a butcher’s shop and was in love with Komal Ghorpade, daughter of the accused couple. Both the families are farm labourers and come from humble economic backgrounds, the police said.

On May 3, the Ghorpade couple allegedly called the boy to their house in Tannu Adoba vasti in Narsigpur region of Indapur and warned him to stay away from their daughter before hurling abuses at him and dousing him in kerosene and setting him ablaze, according to his complaint.

Two of the three accused people were identified by the police as Pallavi and Santosh Ghorpade, while the third was identified only as Raghav.

According to the police, a day before the case was registered, Santosh Ghorpade had told the police that Khan had tried to immolate himself. Ghorpade’s complaint led to the registration of a case of attempted suicide under Section 309 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) against Khan.

“The girl is married to someone else. The boy was not happy about it,” police said.

“His family members took him to a private hospital in Akluj which referred him to Solapur civil hospital where he is currently undergoing treatment. He has sustained 55 per cent burns - on face, front of legs and hands,” said assistant police inspector Jadhav of Indapur police station who is investigating the case.