Told to delay marriage, man sets lover's house afire, 4 hurt

Four members of a family suffered burn injuries as a jilted lover set their house on fire while they were asleep past midnight on Friday in Srirampuram police limits.

Meghana, 22, and her younger sister, Sanjana, 16, are battling for life at St John’s hospital while their parents Nataraj and Anupama are out of danger, police said.

Local residents caught the suspect - Deepak, 21 - thrashed him and handed him over to the police. He told the police that he set the house on fire as he could not marry Meghana.

Meghana suffered about 60% burns and Sanjana about 40%. They were moved to St John’s Hospital from Victoria Hospital. Meghana is a third semester student of RV Engineering College in Kengeri.

The family stays at Sai Baba Layout in Srirampuram. Deepak is a college dropout, is employed at a local medical store and stays in Sai Baba Layout, police said.

Deepak and Meghana were in love with each other for the past four years. Deepak’s family moved to their new house at Rajarajeshwarinagar.

As the family could not accustom themselves to the locality, they moved back to Sai Baba Layout. Deepak and Meghana revived their bondage, police said.

Recently, the two planned to elope and marry secretly. Nataraj advised Deepak to complete his education and assured that Meghana would marry him after she completes her course, said the police.

Meghana too demanded that Deepak complete his BCom, but he was unwilling. She started avoiding his calls and he became violent.

Deepak’s parents had sent him to his grandparents’ house at Yelahanka a week ago so that he forgets her, said the police.He filled about 25 litres of petrol in a water can at a bunk on Dr Rajkumar Road.

He went to her second floor house, poured petrol on the windows, door and on the floor inside the house through the windows. He set the house on and ran downstairs. “I saw flames and thick smoke after I heard some noise,” Sampath Kumar, who stays in the third floor, told Deccan Herald.

Residents rescued

A few other neighbours broke open the door, windows and gained entry. Meghana and Sanjana were sleeping in one room, while their parents were sleeping in another room. They were rushed to a nearby hospital, Kumar said.

“We saw Deepak near the house after the incident. We saw flames on his trousers and he claimed that he came in contact with the flames while dousing the fire.

“We grew suspicious as the petrol smell was strong on his body. We suspected his involvement, thrashed him and handed him over to the police,” Yuvaraj, an eye-witness, said. A fire tender was rushed to the spot. A major tragedy was averted due to the alert neighbours. There was a filled LPG gas cylinder inside the house. They shifted it out.