A 23-year-old labourer has been arrested from Fatehpur Beri area of south Delhi for attempting to kill his wife by setting her on fire. He suspected that she was having an extra marital affair with his cousin, the police said on Sunday.

Jeetu, a resident of Bhatti Mines, had doused his 22-year-old wife Reena with kerosene oil and set her on fire on Thursday night. “We had received a call at a police control room about the incident at about 8 p.m. Reena was rushed to All India Institute of Medical Sciences, where the doctors said she was brought unconscious and half burnt,” said Deputy Commissioner of Police South Chhaya Sharma. Jeetu is absconding after the incident.

The incident was also reported to Sub-Divisional Magistrate, Hauz Khas, Rajeev Shukla. Shukla recorded Reena’s statement wherein she said that on January 19, Jeetu had came home with his cousin, Arvind, after consuming liquor and alleged her of having an affair with him.

“It resulted into a heated argument between the husband and wife after which Jeetu beat Reena. He later poured kerosene oil on her and burnt her. Their neighbours rescued her after hearing her loud cry,” Sharma said.

The police tried to trace him by interrogating people at various addresses in Badhwadi village and Gwal Pahari village in Haryana. “We also raided several places in the national capital region and searched every house to interrogate several acquaintances of the suspect. Eventually an acquaintance revealed that Jeetu was hiding somewhere in Manesar, Haryana.

He was apprehended from Manesar, while he was planning to escape to Barmer, Rajasthan, his native place near India-Pakistan border.

When interrogated, Jeetu told police that he suspected Reena was having an affair with his cousin. He said he could not control his anger and burnt her. An attempt to murder case has been registered against Jeetu at the Fatehpur Beri police station.

1 held for attacking cop

A 24-year-old proclaimed offender was arrested on Friday for assaulting a constable during a raid, police said on Sunday.

Sunny, a resident of Shahbad Dairy, had attacked constable Praveen with a blade on August 17, 2011, during a raid at his residence, said B S Jaiswal, deputy commissioner of police (outer).

On a tip-off that Sunny was present at his home, police conducted a raid. However, he managed to escape by attacking the police. After the incident, Sunny left Shahbad Dairy and went underground.

A search was launched and later he was arrested on Friday at Rohini Sector-25. A country made pistol and live cartridge was seized from him,” Jaiswal said.

During interrogation, Sunny admitted to have attacked the constable in a bid to escape.  
He also told police that he along with his associates Raju, Rakesh, Ajay, Gulfam, Santosh and Sunil Kumar had committed a dacoity in Rohini Sector-6 at gun-point in 2010.

“They had looted about Rs four lakh. All his associates except Raju were arrested. Sunny and Raju were later declared proclaimed offenders by a court as they were absconding and could not be arrested,” Jaiswal said.