A 50-year-old woman was burnt alive after being doused with kerosene, allegedly by her brother-in-law in the Rawalpindi’s Dhamial area police said on Sunday.
The suspect was taken into custody after initially claiming the woman’s injuries were caused by a compressor explosion.
Police later confirmed the woman had been set on fire two days earlier. A murder case has been registered.
City Police Officer (CPO) Syed Khalid Hamdani has ordered prompt action, including instructions on arresting the suspect and a case to be registered.
A 23-year-old resident of Quaid-i-Azam Colony in Dhamial named Mohammad Shahzad Ahmad Bhatti submitted the FIR, claiming that he was at work when his uncle called to tell him that his mother had been burned in a compressor explosion and sent to CMH hospital.
Shahzad discovered his mother Shahzia Farooq unconscious and severely burnt when he arrived at the emergency room.
His sister later told him that their aunt Hajra Adeel had quarreled with both her and their mother before threatening to kill them.
She allegedly forced his sister out of the house, locked the door and shortly after, neighbors heard screams coming from within.
The neighbors unlocked the door and discovered Shahzia engulfed in flames, while Hajra was reportedly changing her clothes. When asked how the woman had caught fire, Hajra claimed it was due to a compressor explosion.
Shahzad said that his aunt intentionally burned his mother alive, blaming it on a domestic dispute. He said quarrels often broke out as his father managed household expenses, leading to repeated tensions between his parents and his aunt.
Initial police investigations confirmed that the woman was doused with kerosene and set alight.
CPO Hamdani condemned the act, saying crimes against women will not be tolerated and that the accused would be punished according to law.