Maharashtra: Man kills mother-in-law by setting her on fire, dies himself due to burns

Mumbai: A 56-year-old man allegedly killed his mother-in-law here by setting her on fire inside a tempo and died himself due to the burn injuries suffered during the incident, police said on Wednesday.

A case of murder was registered against the deceased man, Krishna Daji Ashtankar following the incident which took place in Mulund area on Monday, said an official of Navaghar police station.

Babi Daji Usare, his mother-in-law, was 72.

Ashtankar, a tempo driver, was living in his vehicle after his wife left him six months ago to stay with a patient in Borivali as a caretaker. His son and married daughter too lived elsewhere, said the official.

As per the preliminary investigation, Ashtankar, who struggled with alcohol addiction, was angry because he had to live alone, and suspected that his mother-in-law encouraged his wife to live apart.

As per the victim woman's son, Ashtankar offered to take her to hospital in his tempo on Monday for an eye surgery she needed.

He then apparently closed the tempo's rear shutter and beat the hapless woman with a heavy object before setting her on fire.

But he too was engulfed in flames inside the small space, and sustained fatal injuries.

Some passersby alerted the police who reached the spot along with a fire brigade team.

The shutter was broken down, and both were taken to hospital where the doctors declared them dead on arrival.

Further investigation was underway.