Afzal decided to kill Nethravathi and end his life after learning that her family fixed her wedding with another person, said the police.
Published Mar 30, 2023 | 5:13 PM ⚊ Updated Mar 30, 2023 | 5:14 PM
A 26-year-old man has set his lover ablaze after the victim's family members fixed her match with another person in Bagalkot.
A 22-year-old Dalit woman in Karnataka is battling for her life after a man she was in a relationship with set her ablaze. The police have identified the perpetrator as 26-year-old Afzal Solapur, who proceeded to set himself ablaze as well in a suicide bid.
Even as the two are under treatment for severe burns at Hubballi’s Karnataka Institute of Medical Science (KIMS) hospital, local Hindutva outfits are trying to give the crime a communal colour.
The woman, identified by the police as Netravathi Vaddar, belongs to the Bhovi community and is a resident of Amingad town. She sustained burns on 35 percent of her body, the police said.
Meanwhile, Afzal Solapur, a resident of the same town, sustained burns on 80 percent of his body. His condition is said to be critical.
According to the police, the incident occurred in the evening hours of Monday, 27 March, on a private school ground at Amingad.
A senior police officer told South First that soon after learning that Netravathi’s family had arranged for her to wed another person, Afzal decided to kill her and end his life.
He had come prepared with a bottle of petrol to the school ground where he used to meet Nethravathi after work.
“He pinned her down, doused her with petrol, and set her ablaze. He then set himself on fire,” said the senior police official.
Based on a complaint from Netravathi’s family, the Amingad police registered a case against Afzal, booking him under Section 307 (attempt to murder) of the Indian Penal Code along with appropriate sections of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act of 1989.
Soon after the news spread like wildfire in Hunagund taluk, pro-Hindu outfits, who garnered support for Netravathi and her family members, attempted to add a communal colour to the incident.
They alleged that Afzal attempted to kill her after he got to know that he was “not going to get her”.
However, Superintendent of Police Jayaprakash rubbished the claims.
“If it was something like what they (the pro-Hindu outfits) are claiming, why would Afzal attempt to kill himself in the manner that has resulted in more burns from him than Netravathi? The doctors said that Afzal’s condition was critical. We are investigating the case,” Jayaprakash told South First.
The members of the victim’s family refrained from commenting on the incident.
