Pregnant wife set ablaze jumps into pond

TT, Malda, July 10: A 19-year-old expectant mother jumped into a pond near her home in an Old Malda village when her husband and in-laws allegedly set her ablaze yesterday.

Tumpa Saha, who is seven months pregnant, was rescued by some passing villagers in Sahapara.

She was admitted to Malda Medical College and Hospital around midnight.

The deputy superintendent of the hospital, Jyotish Chandra Das, said: "She has suffered 50 per cent burns from her waist downwards. She is in a serious condition and we cannot say anything about her and the child before 72 hours."

Tumpa's mother has lodged a police complaint against her son-in-law, Kajal Saha, 28, and his parents. The accused are untraceable.

Police sources said trouble began after Tumpa started objecting to Kajal's alleged relationship with another woman in the village.

"The homemaker has told us that her husband was in a relationship with another woman from the same village. When she protested on June 22, she was thrashed by her husband. The following day, the homemaker lodged a complaint of torture with Old Malda police," a source said.

Sources said Tumpa had told the police that Kajal used to sit for gambling sessions with his friends at home every month.

"Around 8pm on Saturday, she found her husband in a compromising position with the other woman at home. When she protested, her in-laws sided with Kajal. The husband then doused her with kerosene and tried to set her ablaze," a police officer said.