24-year-old sets self on fire in Kandivli, blames lover

A 24-year-old woman, who allegedly set herself ablaze in front of her lover’s residence in Kandivli on Wednesday, is still in critical condition and is undergoing treatment at VN Desai Hospital at Vile Parle.

A 24-year-old woman, who allegedly set herself ablaze in front of her lover’s residence in Kandivli on Wednesday, is still in critical condition and is undergoing treatment at VN Desai Hospital at Vile Parle.

HT Image

The victim, Zarin Shaikh, is a resident of Santacruz. In her statement to the police, the victim said Yatin Yousuf Shaikh, 25, had promised to marry her even though he was already married.

Zarin and Yatin had met in 2007 while the two were working in the insurance division of a private bank. A few months later, they shifted to different firms but stayed in touch. In 2009, they joined the same insurance firm and fell in love, the police said.

According to the police, after being in a relationship for two years, Yatin told Zarin that he was getting engaged and later confessed he had to marry another woman on his parents’ insistence.

“Even though Zarin was angry, she did not mind being Yatin’s second wife,” said Hareshwar Pimple, senior police inspector of Kandivli police station. According to the police, Yatin told Zarin he would marry her, however, she would have to wait for a few months because he was going through financial crisis.

On Wednesday, she went outside Yatin’s residence in Khajuria Kanchan Kewat Chawl in Kandivli (West), poured kerosene on her body and set herself ablaze, the police said.

“Yatin and his wife tried to douse the fire and while doing so they too sustained burn injuries. Zarin was first taken to a local hospital then shifted to Cooper Hospital and finally to VN Desai Hospital. We have so far not registered any case,” said Pimple.