UP man sets wife on fire, kills father-in-law and then ends his life

Hamirpur, Nov 27 (IANS) In a gruesome incident, a man in Uttar Pradesh's Hamirpur district set his estranged wife ablaze, bludgeoned his father-in-law to death, and eventually shot himself with a country-made pistol.

According to SP Hamirpur Diksha Sharma, the couple was estranged, and the wife had been living separately with their three children for nearly two months.

The victims were identified as Anusuiya (39) her father Nandlal (60) and the husband, Om Prakash Rajput (42).

The daughter, eldest of all three kids, revealed that her mother, besides moving out, had filed an FIR on October 8 against Om Prakash for a murderous assault that occurred in Pathanpura of Rath area.

Presently, Anusuiya was residing at her father’s under-construction house in Lodhipura of the Muskura police area and was sleeping in a separate room with her children.

Om Prakash entered the house and attacked his wife, subsequently setting her on fire.

Nandlal, attempting to douse the flames, was murdered with a stone by Om Prakash.

The assailant also tried to strangle the two minor children, but the daughter managed to save them, promptly informing the police on 112.

During the incident, Ratan Lal Varma, a teacher and a friend of Om Prakash, was injured while attempting to protect Anusuiya and Nandlal.

Varma had been sent by Om Prakash to persuade his wife for a compromise, and after visiting the family, he decided to stay overnight.

Varma, recounting the horrifying event, said: “He had gone crazy, and I tried to save Anusuiya but could not. I ran away from the house.”

He sought medical treatment for burns sustained during the incident.

Last month, Om Prakash had assaulted victim Anusuiya and the children, leading to the filing of an FIR.

The police officials said that the bodies have been sent for autopsy as part of the ongoing investigations into this incident.