By Indo-Asian News Service
Bhopal: Six members of a family – a woman and five children – were burnt to death and three other people sustained injuries after an acquaintance of the family set their house on fire, the police said Monday.
The incident occurred in Tila Jamalpura locality in Bhopal while the family was celebrating Eid-ul-Fitr Sunday evening.
Mumtaz, a 45-year-old construction worker, was said to be friendly with one Rauf. But on Saturday evening she had a tiff with Rauf when he asked for some money and she declined to give. Rauf then threatened her with dire consequences but calmed down after neighbours intervened.
“On Sunday when Mumtaz’s family was busy in Eid celebrations, Rauf reached there with kerosene, poured it all over and set the house on fire. He also locked the house from outside while running away,” said City Superintendent of Police Ajay Pandey.
“Seeing the house in flames, the neighbours tried to douse the fire but to no avail. Then they called the fire brigade. But by the time the fire fighters doused the flames, five members of the family had already received third degree burns. They were rushed to the Hamidia Hospital, where Nasim, 40, and her daughters Rubina, 17, Sabina, 14, Raveena, 10, and two sons Imtiyaz, 6, and Mukhtar, 1, succumbed to their injuries,” he said.
Nasim’s neighbour Abdul Hamid also sustained 90 percent burns while trying to douse the fire and his condition was stated to be critical. Rauf also sustained some burns. He was arrested later in the night.