Ghaziabad man immolates self after wife does not open the door

The incident took place around 2am on Tuesday in a locality under Nandgram police station jurisdiction. He succumbed during treatment at a hospital on Tuesday evening, officers said

A 28-year-old man in Ghaziabad set himself on fire outside his house on Diwali night (early Tuesday) after his wife allegedly refused to open the door as he returned home inebriated, police said on Wednesday. The couple had been married for 10 months.

Police said neighbours heard his screams and rushed to rescue him, trying to cover him with blankets to douse the fire. (HT Photos)

The deceased, who started residing in Ghaziabad with his wife, 24, two months ago, hailed from Meerut.

The incident took place around 2am on Tuesday in a locality under Nandgram police station jurisdiction. He succumbed during treatment at a hospital on Tuesday evening, officers said.

“The man had come in an inebriated state and repeatedly knocked on the door. But his wife did not let him in, and the man doused himself in diesel and set himself afire in the street. A nearby CCTV camera captured the incident,” said assistant commissioner of police (Nandgram circle) Upasana Pandey. Police said the couple was in a domestic dispute since a month.

Police said neighbours heard his screams and rushed to rescue him, trying to cover him with blankets to douse the fire.

“They later informed the police. The man had sustained severe burn injuries and was taken to a hospital by police, from where he was referred to a hospital in Delhi. There, he succumbed to injuries on Tuesday evening,” the ACP said.

“So far, we have not received any complaint from his family. We are investigating the CCTV footage and will take legal action once we get a complaint,” Pandey said.

Police said the deceased would often stay away from home following fights with his wife, and had returned home on the night of Diwali.

A CCTV footage of the purported incident was widely shared on social media on Wednesday.

The footage showed the man standing on a local street. Moments later, he is seen afire, running through the street seeking help from neighbours.

HT could not independently verify the video’s authenticity.